


Savage

by ADeadMissionary



Series: Savage [2]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Horror, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Romance, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 106,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7107475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADeadMissionary/pseuds/ADeadMissionary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has improved the Night Howler formula. Now it has spread across Zootopia like a plague. Can hero cops Nick and Judy stop this tragedy? They'll have to survive it first... Rated M for gore, violence and mature themes. Many thanks to: PantheraTigr, ShinyJuJu, WarWolf47, katrinahood, Sunny Lighter, and savannahlovespitbulls. Couldn't have done it without you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blue vs Indigo

The day started like any other for Judy Hopps. Wake up at 5:30. Perform some light calisthenics. Take a quick shower. Get dressed. Ride the train to work. Meet Nick. Let him rib her about how perky she looked in the morning. Rib him right back about how his shades and coffee wouldn't make up for being a terrible morning animal. Get patrol assignment. Head out. Make the world a better place.

She couldn't have imagined just how quickly it would all go to hell.

There weren't any big cases that didn't already have solid teams on them, so they were assigned to the tunnels and bridges connecting Tundratown to Downtown. They were very busy, especially so during rush hour. No arrests. Only two speeding violations. Would have been three, but Nick talked her into just issuing a warning to an exceedingly polite jaguar driving a beat up old junker of a car. She rolled her eyes as he explained some good-will from the citizens would be a good thing to have. Though, as she recalled how people treated her when she had the unenviable position of "Meter-Maid," she admitted, even if only to herself, that he was probably right.

Rush hour passed and traffic died down. Nick had taken the chance to grab something to drink. He got his usual coffee and she turned down his usual offer to get her something. The day progressed and traffic picked up as lunch approached. So there they were, just before noon, sitting in the slightly oversized (for a fox and a rabbit, anyway) police interceptor parked behind a roadsign waiting for some unsuspecting sap to go speeding by.

"Then I say, 'The giraffe. He's still in the fridge!'", Nick slapped his knee and laughed at his own joke. Judy rolled her eyes and shook her head. While usually very cool and well spoken, Judy had found that Nick was prone to telling very stupid jokes and anecdotes to pass time. Just when it was the two of them, of course. Pretending to wipe away a tear, Nick eyed Judy from the corner of his eye and spotted the put upon look on her face. His smile died down and became a little frown.

"Hey, don't pretend that wasn't funny. I can see that little smile," Nick snarked. And it was true. Judy was biting her lip, trying to hide the fact that the corners of her mouth were turned up, just the tiniest bit. Judy shook her head a little to rid herself of the smile.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid joke Nick!" she said.

"So you _did_ think it was funny," Nick's smile returned.

Judy raised a paw and shook it in the air, a response on her lips when Clawhauser's voice exploded out of the radio.

"ATTENTION ALL UNITS! EMERGENCY! AN EXPLOSION! All units to Downtown Central Rail Station! Begin emergency protocols!"

Nick's paw snatched the the receiver as Judy hit the ignition. The interceptor roared to life as Nick barked their response.

"Dispatch, this is Unit D-406, Officers Hopps and Wilde en route to Downtown Central Rail Station. Over." They were speeding down the road with sirens blaring by the time Nick was finished.

"Copy that Unit D-406! Um, further instructions will be given soon!" The radio went silent.

Judy glanced at the radio, then back at the road.

"Clawhauser sounded pretty panicked. How bad do you think it is?" Nick shook his head.

"I don't know. It's been a long time since anything like this happened. Not since I was a teenager." Judy refrained from asking about the old explosion. Now was not the time.

The next few minutes passed in tense silence. They closed in on the station and it was evident something had happened. Animals of every sort were fleeing in every direction. Judy stopped as the road became blocked with some abandoned vehicles. Just before Nick could call in the radio exploded again.

"ATTENTION ALL UNITS! A RIOT! MULTIPLE ANIMALS ARE ATTACKING CITIZENS AND FIRST RESPONDERS! NIGHT HOWLERS ARE SUSPECTED! Be on the lookout for dark blue powder covering animals!" Nick and Judy watched, astonished, as a cheetah, whose face and shoulders were covered in a thick layer of blue dust, sprinted down the sidewalk on all fours. The apparently savage cheetah scattered animals in it wake. It then jumped on an unfortunate giraffe in a light purple dress that had not gotten out of its way fast enough.

Judy had already thrown the car into park and leapt from the vehicle. She sprinted toward the cheetah and distressed giraffe. She stopped when she noticed Nick wasn't behind her. She turned and saw him digging in the trunk.

"Wilde!" Judy didn't call him Nick while on the job, unless they were alone.

"Tase the cheetah!" Nick called back, "I'll be right behind you!"

Judy turned without replying and ran to the cheetah mauling the badly frightened giraffe. The taser gun came out of her holster easily. With a running leap she became airborne. Pivoting she landed both feet in the cheetah's side, knocking him clear of the giraffe. A quick flip reoriented her and Judy took aim and fired the taser before she hit the ground. Both barbed hooks planted themselves squarely in the cheetah's side. He was seizing before he hit the ground.

Once she was sure the cheetah was taken care of Judy turned to the victimized giraffe. Judy was shocked when the giraffe also began to seize. Nick's paw clamped the back of her police vest and pulled her clear just as one of the giraffes powerful limbs would have bowled her over. There were two muffled _thwips!_ The giraffe writhed for a few seconds and then fell still.

Judy's wide eyes turned to Nick, then then down to the gun in his still outstretched paw, then to the giraffe's neck where she spied a shiny metal cylinder topped with red fluff. Then her eyes moved to the still downed cheetah, who had an identical dart sticking out of his shoulder. Then she spun to bodily face her partner.

"NICK!" Said red fox winced powerfully, as she had never used his first name out on the street like that before. Not in uniform. He could tell she was winding up for a doozy of a tirade. It was better to explain before she go too much steam built up.

"The giraffe was infected too!" Seeing his partner pause with confusion, but still plainly furious, Nick grabbed her shoulder and turned her to look at the giraffe. He then pointed at the base of the giraffe's neck. There were many bloody scratches and gashes where the cheetah had attempted to get a hold with his powerful jaws. There was also that familiar blue powder smeared all around and in the wounds. Judy noticed this quickly, then glanced to the cheetah. The powder around his face was greatly disturbed, smeared where he had obviously made physical contact with the giraffe.

She looked back to the giraffe, just to make sure the powder was really there. It was. She turned to Nick and crossed her arms, cocked a hip, and began to tap her foot.

"Was it really necessary to tranquilize her?" Nick sighed in relief, but only on the inside. It wouldn't do to let his partner know how relieved he was to head off her tantrum. Then he shrugged and used the tranquilizer gun in his paw to gesture vaguely at the animals that were still fleeing around them, barrel pointed straight down.

"Things are bad enough without adding more savages. And now we can call them both in without trouble. Now, we-," Judy interrupted.

"Fine, you're right. Call it in and give me that tranq-gun. I'm going ahead to help the others. You need to guard these two until someone picks them up. Make sure they don't get trampled." The hackles on Nick's neck rose ever so slightly at the thought of his partner going alone.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Carrots? Going alone? Clawhauser said 'riot', remember? How are you going to deal with that by yourself?" Now it was Judy's hackle's turn to rise. She did not want anyone to question her ability, least of all her partner!

"Wilde, I can handle myself and other officers probably need my help. Now give me that tranq-gun!" She made to grab the gun from his paw but he pulled it back out of reach. The look she gave him could have peeled paint off a wall. But Nick stood firm in the face of her fierce disapproval.

"No. You can't have this gun. But," Nick sighed and slumped a little, then resignedly reached behind his back, "You can have this one." He pulled out another gun, identical to the first. "This one has two more rounds than mine. Here." He held the gun by the barrel and presented it to her handle first. Judy's furious expression turned to surprise, then something like solemn gratitude.

"Thanks." Taking the gun's grip in both paws she pointed it away from Nick and the two animals lying at their feet. She gave a quick look down the sights to familiarize herself, then lowered it.

"Be safe Judy." Nick had what could have been the most serious face she had ever seen on any body. His intense green eyes bore into her violet ones, trying to impress a whole world of meaning.

"You too Nick." Then Judy turned and bound up the street without another word.

* * *

As she ran, Judy took a moment to study the weapon Nick had gifted her. It was all black, except the white dot showing the safety was on. It looked for all the world like a standard police issue GLOCK with a larger barrel. She quickly released the catch on the ammo clip and caught the clip in her off paw. With a quick glance she counted six rounds of ammunition. She frowned a little, hoping for more darts. She slammed the clip back in and continued to run.

_I'll have to make do. I can save the rounds for the bigger animals. Except…_

How was she going to handle the smaller animals? If they were covered in the blue powder, she couldn't wrestle them down without severe risk of getting the blue powder on herself. Then she would just be another problem. So, she had to think of ways to subdue these animals without touching them. Or, just touching them where they had no powder. Maybe she could wash them? A firetruck or anti-riot water cannon could do the trick. She glanced at the street congested with abandoned vehicles of every size and shape imaginable and ruled out that idea. Such a thing would have to be very mobile to be of any effect and one large enough -!

Judy's train of thought was abruptly ended when she heard a vicious growl from just ahead of her. She skid to a halt just in time to avoid a slender brown blur that streaked out from an alley just ahead of her. The streak of brown shot across the sidewalk and blurred up a nearby lamp post where it finally resolved into a small brown weasel wearing a white singlet and red shorts. It snarled at her from its perch halfway up the pole then leapt straight at her with surprising speed considering his seemingly precarious perch.

Judy was faster. She waited until the last second, leaping away once she got a good look at the weasel. There was only a small smear of blue just above his right eye. She nodded to herself. She could do this. She held perfectly still as the weasel charged at her, seeming more fluid than solid. At the last possible moment she twitched left, then threw herself right as the weasel's claws and teeth seemed to just barely scrape by. Judy's powerful leg shot up and slammed into the weasel's side, just below the shoulder. Judy's kick and the weasel's own momentum carried it toward the street at an angle, until it crashed into the base of a large yellow newspaper vending machine. The device actually shook from the blow.

Judy tucked the gun into the back of her pants as she rushed the weasel. Before it could recover Judy grabbed it's scruff and drug it to a nearby trash bin. It was the kind that was made from weaved strands of metal and mounted to the sidewalk. With quick, efficient movements Judy pushed the weasel's paws through two holes in the weave, then, having already retrieved a zip tie from a pouch on her hip, she applied the zip tie to the weasel's wrists.

Judy leapt clear just as the weasel came to. It snapped at her, and tried to rush her. It jerked to a stop, then looked back to its arms trapped in the trash can. It whipped its head back to Judy and snarled, tugging futilely at its arms. Then it's head whipped back around and it spied the white plastic zip tie holding its wrists bound. It threw its head against the metal weave, trying to shove its snout through a hole and bite through the plastic strip holding it prisoner. Failing that, it began to attack the metal weave, biting at in a desperate, if pointless, attempt at escape.

Judy watched all of this carefully, wanting to make sure the weasel was truly contained. While small, weasels could be truly vicious. It wouldn't do to have one attack her from behind because she hadn't made sure it couldn't escape. After about twenty seconds of watching it bite uselessly at the metal weave she thought she was as sure as she could be and turned to leave.

After ten strides down the sidewalk she recalled old stories of what any truly desperate animal, but _especially_ a weasel, could do. With a terrible feeling in her gut she stopped and turned back to spy that, yes, the weasel was _gnawing on its arm._ Her ears folding back in dismay, Judy rushed back to stop the weasel from mutilating itself. As soon as she got close, however, it went right back to snapping and snarling at her.

Judy skidded to a halt a few feet outside of it range. She thought hard on this new development. She couldn't leave the weasel like this. It would hurt itself badly if left alone and trapped. But even a few blocks away from the train station her sensitive ears could pick up on a terrible racket. Probably dozens of infected animals driving hundreds of others into a panic. Her fellow police officers putting their lives on the line trying to control the chaos.

Judy reached for the tranq-gun tucked into her belt, but paused. If these tranquilizer darts were powerful enough to down a giraffe after an attack, while it was full of panic and adrenaline (not to mention turning savage from the effects of the powder!), the dose was way too high for a comparatively tiny weasel to survive. Judy stood frozen, completely unsure of what to do. She couldn't go. She couldn't stay. What to do?

The solution that came to her left her feeling queasy, but it was the only one she thought might work. Her arm, previously paused on its way to grab the pistol, continued on its way and she gripped the handle. Pulling the gun out, rather than thumbing off the safety, she raised it high. Then, careful of the blue powder, she brought the butt of the gun down on the weasel's head. The strike hit true and the weasel was out like a light.

Sighing, and feeling like a terrible animal, Judy crouched in front the unconscious weasel and reached out to check its pulse. It was strong and steady, if a little elevated, even for a weasel. Now that she was looking at him up close (she was sure he was male now) and he wasn't snapping and snarling Judy noticed that he wasn't completely brown. He had tan fur around his mouth and down his front. Now that she was looking at him closely, she was sure she recognized him.

 _Is this… Duke Weaselton? What are_ you _doing here?_

Thinking about it, she realized if he was at the train station he was probably trying to sell his bootleg movies to tourists, or some other scam. Judy shook her head and sighed. She new his scams would bring him nothing but trouble, but this? It was too much.

Satisfied Duke was as safe as could be in this situation Judy pulled back her paw. Before she could stand her ears twitched, picking up an unusually loud set of screams. She turned, still crouched, to see what was causing the commotion. Her ears fell to the side and her face sank into horrified dismay. A huge African bush elephant, down on all fours, covered in a thick layer of the awful blue powder, was charging up the sidewalk. Animals of all types were bodily throwing themselves into alleys, doors, and windows, and between, over, and under cars to get out out of the seemingly unstoppable beast's path. Then Judy spotted a white cat, wearing a red and black striped jogging suit, a little overweight, bent over and panting, paw stretched out and holding the corner of a building to support its weight while it rested. Judy knew immediately that she would never reach him before the elephant did. She jumped to her feet, waving her arms frantically, and yelled as loudly as her small body would allow.

"SIR!" Judy screamed, "YOU HAVE TO MOVE! YOU, THE WHITE CAT, GET OUT OF THERE!"

If the cat heard her, he gave no sign. He stood from where he was bent over, apparently having caught his breath. He wasn't as panicked as he could have been, his brief rest allowing him some semblance of calm. He raised his red eyes from the sidewalk and spotted the frantically waving grey rabbit in the officer's uniform. Feeling somewhat detached from this surreal situation, all he could really notice was how unusual a rabbit police officer was.

 _Is that Judy Hopps?_ He had time for this one thought, then fourteen thousand pounds of elephant smashed him into, then around, then _through_ the corner of the building he had been resting against.

The elephant was barely phased by smashing through the corner of the stone building, even though it had opened a gash from the top of its shoulder to its elbow from hitting the stone edge. It continued to charge down the sidewalk, now devoid of all other animals. Except Judy Hopps.

Judy's body had frozen as she witnessed the cat disappear in a cloud of red streaks and mortar shards. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even _think._ All she could do was look at the awful purple splotch running down the elephant's side where _so much blood_ had mixed with blue powder.

The elephant was bearing down on Judy now. Forty feet. Twenty. Ten. Five. Something crashed into her. It wasn't the elephant. This had come from the side. Something red and blue.


	2. Evacuation

Judy came to lying on her back. Her ears were ringing. She didn't know when she opened her eyes, but she realized she was looking up into a face. Nick's face. Nick's desperate face, if she was reading it right. He was crouched over her. He was holding her shoulders and shaking her. The ringing began to fade.

"...ome on, Judy! You need to realize something! This is no time for a nap! Chief Bogo himself might be out here, and if he catches you taking a nap on the job you can kiss your fast track career goodbye! Why, you might be fifty before you take his job, at this rate! Eh-?!"

At this point Judy had managed to gather the strength she needed to reach up and grip Nick's shoulder. Nick paused his shaking as he felt her small paw.

"...Stop shaking me Nick. And get off me!" Nick let her go and smiled while he stood, taking a step back to give her a little room. Judy realized that they were no longer on the sidewalk, but between lanes on the street surrounded by cars. She also noticed her pistol lying on the street beside her. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, then used a paw to rub her face. When she pulled her paw away she saw Nick with his paw out, patiently waiting for her to grab it. She matched his smile and grabbed his paw. She grabbed her pistol and let herself be pulled up. Her smile died as she recalled what had been happening when she went down.

"The elephant! We have to-!" She tried to push past Nick, but he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back so she was standing in front of him again. She looked up at him, violet eyes wide with confusion. He looked down at her with a serious face and solemn eyes.

"It took the rest of my ammunition, but I brought the elephant down. Don't worry about that. Come on, new orders. The riot is completely out of control," Nick rolled his eyes, "Like you can't tell that already, what with the cheetah and elephant and all. Anyway, Bogo himself has ordered a full retreat. All officers are to make the best line we can ten blocks out from the train station. Apparently they're calling in some military hazmat/crowd control specialists from out of town. Let's go!" He patted one shoulder with a paw and then turned to go toward their interceptor, running between the cars. Judy tucked her pistol into her belt and made to follow, but then something occurred to her.

"Wait Nick! I got Duke Weaselton zip tied to a trash can over here. Help me get him. At least we can get him to the medics." Already turning towards where she thought he was, Judy paused when Nick called back, hurrying towards her.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about him. I, er, I already got him to those EMTs that picked up the cheetah and the giraffe. Yeah. Come on." Having reached Judy while he was talking, Nick reached down and grabbed her wrist. He turned and began pulling her down the street. They made it all of five feet before Judy, sensing something amiss, dug her feet in. Nick stopped in his tracks, but, without turning, kept tugging her in the direction of the interceptor.

"Why are you lying, Nick?" Judy asked. Nick replied without turning to face her, and while he sounded jovial his voice was also a little strained.

"I'm not lying! It's like I said, Duke's already gone. You can't do anything for him. Come on." Judy got a terrible sick feeling in her stomach.

"What do you mean, ' _he's gone_ ', Nick?!" Nick stopped pulling on her arm, but didn't let go. He finally turned to look at her. His green eyes were pained, and when they met with her wide purple eyes they confirmed her fear. Judy snatched her arm back so quickly Nick stumbled, and by the time he corrected himself she was already running back the way they came.

" _Wait! Judy, don't look!_ " Nick took off after her, but Judy had always been faster. By the time he reached her, she was already standing by the mangled remains of the metal trash can. Her ears were down and she was shaking. He stopped a few feet behind Judy, then slowly stepped forward until he was beside her, looking down at the crushed puddle of blood and viscera that used to be Duke Weaselton. As far as Nick could tell the elephant's foot had come down directly on top of Duke. Nick was pretty sure there was not any part of Duke that wasn't completely crushed. Nick couldn't even tell what position Duke was lying in when it happened.

Nick's eyes moved from the gore in front of him to his partner. Judy was using both paws to cover her mouth. Her expressive violet eyes were wide and tears were just starting to fall. Nick did the only thing he could think to do. He put a paw on Judy's shoulder, squeezed gently, and said:

"I'm sorry." Nick's voice snapped Judy out of her reverie. She tore her eyes from the scene before her and ran a few steps to the side. She bent nearly double and threw up what little there was in her stomach. Then she began to dry heave. Nick watched her with sad eyes. He walked over to her and placed his paw on her back, both to comfort and steady her.

Judy finally stopped heaving, but stayed where she was bent over, paws on her knees, gasping for breath. When she was somewhat sure she wasn't going to pass out she stood and closed her eyes.

Nick watched as Judy visibly collected herself. Eyes still closed, she gave a little nod, as though to herself, and opened her eyes. Feeling Nick's paw on her back, she looked to him and their eyes met. She gave him a firm nod and he nodded back, keeping eye contact for a few seconds longer. Finally Judy looked away and turned back to Duke. Judy and Nick walked back to where poor Duke lay.

"W-We-!" Judy croaked. She swallowed and tried again, "We need t-to call this in." Her voice was still a little shaky, but Nick could hardly blame her.

"I already did. Found his wallet too. Made a positive I.D. This is Duke Weaselton." Judy's eyebrows came together and she turned to Nick.

"You took down the elephant _and_ identified Duke? How long was I out?" Nick's eyes slid to Judy without him actually turning to face her.

"Hard to tell. Fifteen minutes?" Judy glanced at her wristwatch and saw it was nearly 1 P.M. Had it already been an hour since this mess started? It didn't feel like it had been more than ten minutes.

Judy's ears twitched and she suddenly turned to face down the street. Nick noticed and looked to where she had turned. They both spotted the group of about ten animals running down the street. They were all running on hind paws and hoofs with no sign of the blue powder. Nick and Judy sagged a little with relief. Nick took off toward the group and Judy followed close behind.

"Excuse me!" Nick called just before he reached the group. The animals collectively came to a stop. An antelope was unprepared, however, and crashed into the rhino in front him. The rhino barely budged, but the antelope fell to the ground, dazed. The rhino turned to help the antelope.

"I'm sorry about that!" The rhino's chagrin was palpable. He bent down to help the antelope up. When it became clear the antelope was still unsteady another antelope (a relative, if their looks were anything to go by) took him by the arm. Still embarrassed, the rhino, apparently the leader of this group, turned back to Nick and Judy. Nick started talking once he was sure the group was paying attention.

"Excuse me. Thank you for evacuating the area in such an orderly fashion. There have been some casualties this way and we are asking that you please take care to avoid them." Here Nick brought his paws together and bounced them to emphasize his next point. "Some of these casualties have a blue powder on them. Please, take extreme caution to avoid coming into any kind of contact with this powder. Hold your breath as you pass by, if you can help it. Now," Here Nick put his paw out toward Judy. "My partner here will lead you out of the quarantined zone. Please follow her instructions." Nick looked towards Judy and caught her eye. "I'll bring up the rear." She nodded in agreement. Judy turned back to the larger group and put her arms up and waved them slightly.

"Alright, everybody this way." The group turned and began to follow Judy as she turned around and took up a brisk pace, heading down the sidewalk away from the train station. She continued, "Please avoid that trashcan right there. Just focus on me. Let's go…"

Nick had stepped to the side and allowed the group to pass him, then taken up position as rear guard. As they passed the mangled trashcan Nick paused and took in the sight one last time.

_Sorry, Duke. Goodbye._

Then he hurried to catch up to the group.

* * *

Judy and Nick had just sent the group of animals out of the quarantine zone and were making their way back to the interceptor when their radios went off.

"Attention all units! Be advised, three new explosions have just been confirmed! Tundratown Shopping Center, Downtown Municipal Airport, and Sahara Square Stadium have all been declared quarantine zones. Be advised…" As the report continued, Judy and Nick looked at each other, shock on their faces. Three more explosions? Who could be doing this?

Already jogging, they picked up the pace and ran the last block to the interceptor. By the time Nick settled into his seat Judy already had the radio on the news.

"...citizens are advised to remain indoors and to stay away from windows. Large scale attacks have spread Night Howler to hundreds, if not thousands of animals, turning them savage. Citizens should avoid population dense areas, as those seem to be the most likely target for these-!" Judy shut off the news and turned it back to the police feed. Clawhuaser's panicked voice was already streaming.

"-yone! More explosions. At least three in every district, it's like a war out there, police and volunteers are to assist civilians to their homes or the nearest shelter! Repeat, number one priority for everyone is to evacuate civilians!" Nick reached over and grabbed Judy shoulder. Judy jumped a little, having been focused on the radio. She looked at Nick and their eyes met.

"Alright, cottontail, you heard Clawhauser. We need to go evacuate the civvies. Where's the nearest place that you can think of?" Judy thought about it hard for a second and realized.

"City Hall is only five blocks from here. We'll go assist the evacuation there." Judy threw the car into reverse and pulled back, turning until the back wheels jumped the curve. Then she shifted to drive and peeled out, sirens blazing until they reached another impasse two blocks from City Hall. Nick and Judy jumped out as soon she put the interceptor in park. Here the streets were congested with fleeing animals.

They had to get some control of this or animals were going to be trampled. Judy and Nick made their way between the cars for a block before Nick scrambled on top of a low lying sports car, then jumped onto a sedan, then jumped again onto a van. Judy skid to a stop when she noticed what he was doing. He looked down at her from his place on the van.

"Ears!" Nick yelled. Judy automatically reached up and held her ears with her paws, confused but trusting Nick. Then Judy was surprised when Nick raised a megaphone to his snout. When on earth had he grabbed the megaphone out of the cruiser?

" **Attention citizens!** " Judy was glad Nick warned her. That noise hurt even when her paws were muffling the sound. " **Would all small animals please vacate the sidewalk and allow the larger animals animals to pass! Smaller animals, please use the street to evacuate! It will be much easier for you to run between the vehicles! We are trying to avoid trampling. Please be mindful of the smaller and larger animals around you. Please help any fallen animal up. We are trying to avoid trampling.** " Judy, far from still, was busy directing the increased flow of traffic of small mammals through the abandoned cars, mostly rodents, but also some sheep, cats, a few smaller breeds of deer and dogs, even a fox with a lovely white coat of fur in a green dress.

Then a storefront up the street exploded in a cloud of blue smoke. The evacuating animals went into a panic, and any semblance of order was lost. A particularly jumpy wolf went from walking to running and collided with Judy, throwing her to the ground. She sat up and rubbed her head where it had collided with the pavement. Nick was back on the megaphone.

" **Please do not panic! Be mindful of other animals! No trampling!** " Nick turned off the megaphone in disgust. No one was listening. He turned back to where he thought Judy was, but he couldn't spot her through the blur of fur. "Officer Hopps! Get up here!"

Judy leapt from the crowd, easily making it on top of the sedan Nick had used. Then it was a short hop to the van's roof. She stumbled, and would have fallen if Nick hadn't dropped the megaphone and grabbed her.

"Whoa! You alright there, cottontail?" Nick was concerned. That short hop should have been nothing to Judy. Judy winced and reached up to rub her head again. Only this time she looked at her paw afterward and noticed it was smeared red. Nick noticed too. He guided Judy to a sitting position and checked the back of her head. He nearly swore when he saw a gash nearly two inches long just right of the middle of the back her head.

"Ah, geez, Judy. This is going to need stitches. Hang on." Nick went for one of the pouches on his belt when his ears twitched. Judy's too. They both looked up see a bear squaring off with a lion on the sidewalk. The lion's entire front was covered with blue powder. The bear was scarcely better off, with blue powder covering everything from the chest up. They both were snarling and snapping. They weren't the only ones. There were now nearly a dozen savage animals in front of the destroyed storefront. All were covered in varying amounts of dark blue dust.

Only half a block away Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde sat frozen on the van's roof, thinking on what to do. They both realized the street was now deserted. Nick put one paw on Judy's shoulder and the other paw on the tranq-gun tucked into the back of her belt. He drew the gun as quietly as possible. Then he leaned in to whisper into Judy's ear as quietly as he could.

" _I am going to take the gun. Then we are going to back to the car. I'll drive. Let's go._ " Still as quiet as possible, Nick helped Judy into a crouching position. He turned away to let himself off the side of the van facing into the street, planning to use the abandoned vehicles as cover, when Judy's arm shot out and her paw gripped his wrist. Surprised, Nick looked at Judy, but she wasn't looking at him or the savage animals up the street. No, she was looking across the sidewalk. Nick followed her gaze and spotted what had her attention. Two young otters were huddled in the doorway of the building next to them. The way they were pressed against the door suggested it was locked.

Nick resisted the the urge to swear. But only just. Judy turned to him and met his eye. Nick cleared the irritated look from his face and replaced it with a serious one. He nodded once, then broke eye contact to resume his task. Abandoning the megaphone, Nick and Judy crawled to the back of the van. The spare tire mounted to the back was easy enough to climb down. Once he dropped down Nick pressed himself to the ground and carefully peeked around the corner of the van. The savage animals were still spitting and snapping, but not actually fighting. Maybe they were trying to establish a pecking order?

Judy, meanwhile, was trying to get the attention of the otter pups. She waved her arms, but the pups were curled up against each other, eyes closed. Thinking, she looked around herself and spotted a bright red candy wrapper on the sidewalk. It was only a few inches away, but it was a few inches in plain view of the savages up the street. She got on the ground next to Nick and eased her way forward until the savages came into view. She raised her arm, paw poised to snatch the wrapper when she was sure they weren't looking. Her chance came when a savage moose broke from the pack and took off running down the street, thankfully in the opposite direction. All the savages turned to look and Judy snatched the candy wrapper. Leaning back on her haunches, Judy bundled the wrapper in a little ball and prepared to throw it.

The little foil ball flew true and bounced off one of the otter's knees. The pup flinched and glanced around frantically, calming when he saw Judy making shushing motions. The pup tapped his sister's paw, causing her to look up, first at her brother, then to where he was looking, finally spotting Judy. The little girl immediately recognized Judy Hopps and gasped. Loudly.

Judy glanced at Nick, who was still on the ground watching the savages, and saw his entire body stiffen. Before she could assume the worst Nick put up a paw to shush her. He watched as the lion savage looked around once, twice, then sniffed the air. Then the bear snapped at him and it was back to showing them who was alpha. Nick relaxed and signaled the all clear.

Sagging a bit with relief, Judy put her digit back to her lips, desperately signaling quiet. The little girl covered her mouth with a paw and nodded. Her brother nodded also. Judy leaned toward Nick.

" _Tell me when._ " She whispered. Nick gave a minuscule nod. Judy leaned back and raised her paws, pads up. When the pups looked confused Judy repeated the motion. The brother started to stand but paused halfway, looking to Judy. She gave him an encouraging nod and he completed the motion, grabbing his sister's paw and bringing her up with him. Judy put out her paw, telling them to wait. Then she raised her paws, ready to signal the otter pups and looked to Nick. His arm was up, paw ready to signal.

Nick watched as the savages fought amongst themselves, looking for all the world like they were vying for position in their group. Were these guys forming a tribe? The lion and the bear's little show was winding down, with it looking like the bear won. Even as a savage the bear could stand, the added height giving it a psychological advantage. A zebra nearly kicked a baboon, and the baboon went nuts, waving it's arms and screeching and running around. This got the attention of the other savages. Nick swept his arm, giving the signal. Judy began waving her arms quickly, telling the pups to hurry. They took off with the brother in the lead, pulling the sister behind. They made it across the sidewalk, but the brother gave a little hop to get down to the pavement. The sister hadn't expected that and was pulled off balance. She squealed in surprise.

"Ah!" Judy caught the pup and shushed her, but it was too late. Nick, still observing the savages, spotted no less than four start prowling in their direction. The rest began to follow. Without saying a word Nick rose from his place on the ground and ran to the other side of the van, pulling out his heavy police issue flashlight as he went. When he could see down the street he wound up, muscles coiling, then released, chucking the flashlight as far as he could. The black cylinder flew through the air, unnoticed by the savages, until it crashed into a nice blue sports car's windshield. The alarm went off, raising a racket. Without checking to see if his plan worked Nick spun toward his companions and rushed forward to pick up the little boy otter. Then he was off, running between the abandoned cars toward the police interceptor, Judy, with the little girl in her arms, hot on his tail. They were halfway down the block when Nick heard Judy's desperate cry.

" _NICK!_ " Glancing back, he immediately saw the savage mountain wolf bearing down on Judy and the little otter girl. Jumping between two car bumpers and readjusting his passenger so he could hold him with one arm, Nick readied the pistol in his paw. He let Judy streak by, then Nick brought the pistol to bear and fired. _Thwip!_ A dart appeared in the wolf's shoulder. The wolf stumbled and fell, more from surprise than pain. When it tried to stand it found it did not have the strength. Then, it blacked out.

Nick, having turned to run as soon as he saw the wolf trip, did not see any of this. The other savages never did catch up with them. By the time Nick caught up to Judy she was already in the driver's seat of the interceptor. Nick ran to the driver's door and threw it open, much to Judy's surprise. Then he passed her the otter pup and shooed her toward the passenger seat. When Judy made to protest, Nick snapped at her.

"You have a head injury! I won't let you drive us off a bridge because you blacked out behind the wheel! Now move, princess!" Judy, realizing his point and not willing to argue it during the current situation, moved over with the two otter pups. Nick jumped behind the wheel and threw the car into drive. They were soon speeding away.


	3. Not Pathetic!

As they were speeding down the road, the otter pups curled up together under her left arm, it occurred to Judy that, for the first time in a while, she didn't know exactly where they were going. That was because she usually drove. Come to think of it, she was pretty sure Nick had never actually driven the interceptor before. It occurred to her that she was not completely sure he actually was licensed to drive. Surely he was? He drove that tacky orange van. No, that was wrong. That van belonged to Finnick, not Nick. Oh, CARROTS. What if Nick didn't have his license!? Judy winced and brought a paw to the gash on the back of her head. All this worrying was giving her a headache.

Nick noticed Judy touch her head wound from the corner of his eye.

"You alright there, Officer Hopps?" Officer Hopps? Judy wondered why Nick was being so formal. Then one of the otter pups shifted against her and she remembered. Witnesses. That would explain it. Then his question sunk in.

"I'm fine, Officer Wilde. Just a little sore." Nick had this way of rolling his eye and then looking askance at you that made you feel like he just called you an idiot. All without uttering a syllable or even fully turning to look at you. Judy hated how effective it was at riling her up. She crossed her arms and huffed after she spotted him doing it. Doing so pressed her wound against the headrest, however, which brought with it an entirely unexpected stabbing pain. Judy hissed and jerked her head away away from the seat. She reached back and touched her throbbing cut with a paw. Then she spotted Nick still watching her from the corner of his eye. Only now the 'you're an idiot' look was completely replaced with concern. For some reason she couldn't explain Judy hated that look more. Nick opened his mouth, but the otter pups beat him to it.

"Are you alright lady?! Er, ma'am?" The young male asked/blurted. Judy looked down to see both pups were looking up at her with concern written all over their adorable otter faces. She felt her ears heat up with embarrassment at having been caught in a vulnerable moment by civilians. And children, no less! She thought a direct answer might be best to assuage their fears.

"Oh, don't worry about me! This is nothing a band-aid won't fix. I'll be fine." Nick marveled at how good with kids Judy could be. Still, he had to resist the urge to snort. That would have to be some band-aid. Then the little girl pup spoke up.

"Oh, we have band-aids at our house!" She said brightly. "You should come, we'll give you all the band-aids you could want. Please?" The little girl looked up at with her big brown eyes and Judy almost melted. Would have, but having as many little brothers and sisters as she did gave Judy lots of experience with the so-called 'puppy-dog eyes'. Still, this might be an excellent chance to get the kids home.

"Sure! That's a great idea. Do you know your address?" Both pups looked at each other. From the confused looks on their faces Judy could guess what the answer was going to be. The girl glanced down, looking ashamed. The boy looked at Judy with embarrassment written all over his face.

"Uhh.." Judy hated seeing two young animals looking so down. She smiled brightly and waved her free paw (the one not wrapped around the pups) and laughed it off.

"Oh, that's alright! We don't need that, anyway. We have some really cool stuff in a police car. Like this nifty computer…" Judy leaned forward and flipped down a blank panel on the dash, revealing a little computer monitor and keyboard. "See! With this all we need is your name. Why don't you tell me your names and we'll see about getting you home?" Judy poised her right paw over the keyboard. The girl hardly heard any of that, she was still checking out the computer. How cool was a computer built into your car? Did it play games? The boy answered for them both.

"My name is Harvey! And my little sister is Gretchen!" Judy laughed, happy with little Harvey's enthusiasm.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Harvey. My name is Officer Judy Hopps. You can call me Judy, alright? Now, why don't you tell me your last name?" Nick had never heard Judy tell someone to call her by her first name on the job before. She must have a soft spot for kids. Thinking back to when they first met, it seemed rather obvious. What the kid said next completely derailed his train of thought.

"Otterton!" Judy's paw froze over the keyboard, but Nick's reaction was much more noticeable. His paw slipped on the steering wheel and the interceptor swerved suddenly to the left. He immediately regained control, but was chagrined to notice that his three passengers were staring at him. He coughed into a paw to cover his embarrassment. When that didn't work he started talking.

"Uh, pothole? Any way, Harvey, was it? Did you say 'Otterton'? You wouldn't happen to know Emmett Otterton, would you?" Little Harvey was not sure what to say, having been almost literally jerked from his previous conversation. It took a moment for him to gather his flustered thoughts and process Nick's question. Wait, did he mean..?

"Uh, Uncle Emmit? Yeah. We see him when we visit Grandma Alice's house for Family Holiday. Why? Did you hear his name on the news?" Little Gretchen rolled her eyes.

"Harvey! This is Judy The Rabbit and Nick The Fox. Don't you remember what Aunt Hetty said? They're the ones that saved Uncle Emmet from being a monster!" Nick spared the little otter pup a surprised glance. Well, he certainly never heard it put that way before! Judy was just as surprised as Nick, though she was probably more pleased. Judy The Rabbit, huh? Sounded kinda like a hero. Judy had always wanted to be a hero.

Smiling a little, she leaned forward to type in the pups' names and get an address. Just one result. That was good. It wasn't far either! Just a few miles away, toward Animalia. Judy's smile fell away. That made this more difficult. Animalia was the most popular entertainment district in Zootopia, and rather heavily targeted because of that. It might too dangerous for the pups there, even hiding in their home. Nick immediately noticed his partner's change in mood.

"Something wrong, Officer Hopps?" Nick spoke softly, knowing Judy's sensitive ears would pick up on his voice, even over the squabbling pups. Judy turned her head to face Nick. She watched him for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, Officer Wilde. Turn left at this intersection."

* * *

By the time the little group made it to the Otterton residence, it had become clear that the city was in chaos everywhere. Nick had to jump the curb and drive down the sidewalk twice before they made it to the little pups' residence. The streets were becoming congested with abandoned vehicles. But they did eventually pull up to a little duplex on the southeast edge of Downtown.

"Alright kids, we're here." Nick said as he backed the interceptor into the barely big enough driveway. Just a glance showed the house was custom built for smaller animals. While that probably lowered the cost of rent and air conditioning, it also made it a pain for larger animals to visit. Nick continued.

"Now, I want you to stay in the car with Officer Hopps. I am going to go make sure the house is safe." After he parked the interceptor Nick looked to Judy. Judy nodded her consent. Then Judy took out her flashlight and presented it to Nick. Nick looked a little embarrassed but took the flashlight anyway. Nick got out of the interceptor. He studied the house as he approached the front door. Squat, brown, two front doors. All in all it looked like every other suburban duplex Nick had ever seen. As he stood in front of the door Nick took note of the shrubs to his left. He knocked and announced himself.

"This is the ZPD. Is anyone home?" Nick knocked again, a little harder. "Hello?! We're here to drop off Harvey and Gretchen!" Nick knocked for a third time. He sighed when there was no answer. Nobody was home. He tried the doorknob. Locked. Nick was used to locked doors and had some experience getting around them. He immediately turned to the little garden plot that held the shrubs and spied a little pile of smooth rounded rocks. Revealing a claw as he crouched beside it Nick began tapping each stone. Click. Click. Click. Thud. Nick grabbed the revealed fake rock and glanced at the bottom, finding a little panel. Fiddling with it briefly Nick got it to open, revealing a bronze colored house key. Nick took the key and dropped the rock back on the pile. Turning back to the door he took his newly discovered key, turned the lock and ducked inside.

It only took ninety seconds to check the entire two bedroom. Satisfied the house was clear, Nick went back to the interceptor, pausing to put the key back in its place in the shrubs' plot. Judy was waiting patiently, chatting with the pups to keep them occupied. Nick opened the door and motioned to the pups to get out.

"Alright kids, it's all clear. Come on. Here, let me help you." Nick helped Harvey out of the car. The little pup took off and disappeared inside the house almost immediately. As Nick was helping Gretchen she asked him a question.

"How did you know where the key was?" Nick stiffened when he heard someone clear her throat from behind him.

"Yes, _Officer Wilde._ How _did_ you know?" Nick turned to find that Judy was standing behind him, arms crossed, hip cocked, foot tapping. This was her 'annoyed with Nick' pose. He called it that because he never saw her do that to other animals. He looked back to Gretchen's upturned face, mostly so he wouldn't have to look at Judy.

"A friend of mine does the same thing!" Nick told the little girl. The girl shrugged and ran inside, apparently satisfied by that answer. Nick made to follow but found Judy standing in his way, 'annoyed with Nick' pose going full blast.

"Who is this friend, exactly?" The question was asked in a reasonable tone of voice at reasonable volume. Somehow, it still felt like she was yelling at him. Nick didn't like that.

"Let's just call him 'Experience' and leave it at that, okay?" Nick's reply was terse. He pushed past Judy and followed the kids into the house. Judy's gaze stayed on him until he was inside. Then she stood on the lawn and stared at the door, foot tapping. She was annoyed with Nick, but mostly she was annoyed with herself. She had known Nick for nearly two years. Had been friends, no, _best friends_ , with him for most of that time. Yet there were things she still didn't know. Important things. Things like _how could he know how to break into suburban homes without a trace._ That sounded important and she didn't know! Judy was disappointed with herself. Some friend she was.

Meanwhile, Nick had the pups gathered on a little otter sized couch and was kneeling before them. He had told them that this was important and now both were staring at him attentively. Nick put one paw one each of their shoulders and began.

"Now, kids, this is important. The city is in a lot of trouble right now. There are a lot of frightened animals out there. Scared animals can do scary things. This is what I need you to do. Keep the lights off. Keep the windows covered. Keep the tv volume low. Be very, very quiet. Always lock the door. If someone knocks, do _not_ answer, unless they call you by name. If you think someone is trying to break in, hide. In fact we are going to practice a little before I go, okay? You understand?" Both otters nodded. Nick smiled for them. "Good! I am going to go outside and count to ten. When I come back you need to be somewhere I can never find you. Alright? Here I go." Nick stood and went outside. As he stepped out, Nick noticed Judy leaning against the wall by the door. Her paws were in her pockets. She smiled at him.

"Are you really playing hide-and-seek with those kids?" Her tone was playful. Nick appraised her coolly.

"Of course. This could be important. I know _you_ would feel bad if you left them unprepared. Isn't that right, Carrots?" Judy rolled her eyes, smiling.

"I think you just want to play a game you know you can win. Huh? Sly Fox?" Nick frowned at that. Judy's smile fell away in confusion. Had she said something wrong?

"I hope I can't find them. If _I_ can find them, _others_ could find them too. That could be… _bad._ " Judy was alarmed at Nick's tone. That sounded like it came from experience.

"Nick-" He interrupted her.

"NINE, TEN, HERE I COME." Nick shouted through the door. Then he ducked back inside, leaving a frustrated Judy Hopps leaning next to the door. It was only her wound that kept her from throwing her head back in frustration.

* * *

Nick found both pups in under thirty seconds. He gave them some advice and they tried again. A minute this time. Some praise and some more advice. Another attempt and it took Nick nearly five minutes to find them. Nick said they were ready to practice on their own. Then he asked if they could have that band-aid for Judy. Little Harvey ran to the bathroom and retrieved a yellow case from under the sink. It was the kind fishers used, a tackle box. It was full of a variety of bandages, gauzes, medical tape, and disinfectants. There was even an epinephrine autoinjector. Nick retrieved Judy from outside and sat her at the little kitchen table with the tackle box. He pulled his chair up close behind hers. Gretchen and Harvey had volunteered as assistants and were standing next to them. Nick immediately noticed he was missing something and turned to Gretchen.

"Hey kiddo, mind getting me a warm washcloth?" Gretchen was happy to do so. Nick studied the wound more closely while he waited for Gretchen to return. The cut was about two inches long. But it wasn't as deep as he originally feared. Probably wouldn't need stitches after all. Still, they needed to take care of it now. If they waited any longer they risked infection. Gretchen returned with the a wet red and white plaid rag. Nick took it with muttered a 'thank you' and washed the fur around the cut. Judy hissed and flinched away from the contact. Nick grabbed her shoulder to keep her still and continued to wash the wound with his other paw.

"Don't be a baby. If you think this is bad, just wait for the disinfectant!" Nick admonished her.

"I think you're enjoying this a little too much, Officer Wilde." Judy griped. Nick's answer caught her off guard.

"I would never enjoy hurting you, Officer Hopps." His sincere reply made Judy's ears feel hot. She was glad he couldn't see her face. "Now, that being said, this next part is going to sting." Judy rolled her eyes.

"I grew up on a farm you know. I'm no stranger to cuts and bruises." Now Nick rolled his eyes.

"If you say so." Then he took the disinfectant paste and squeezed a bit onto a digit. Then, carefully, he smeared it on the cut. Judy's reaction was immediate. Her entire body stiffened and she sat ramrod straight in the kitchen chair. She was trying to keep her head still but she stomped one of her feet in an attempt to quell the urge to jump out of her chair. Nick patted her shoulder and shushed her.

"Hey. Take it easy. The worst of it is over. Some gauze and wrap and we'll be good to go."

* * *

After thanking the kids for helping with the 'operation', Judy had given the kids her personal phone number and told them to call her if there was an emergency. Nick told the pups to keep practicing hiding. Judy said they had important work to get back to and ushered Nick out the door.

Now Judy was once again in the passenger seat. Nick had adamantly refused to let her drive and told her that he would be driving for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow.

After letting dispatch know what happened Clawhauser made it clear they were to return to base. Now they were driving back to Precinct 1 Headquarters. It was going to take a while so Judy decided ask Nick some questions that had been bothering her.

"Nick, why did you have those tranq-guns? They are _not_ standard issue." Nick glanced at Judy from the corner of his eye, then put his eyes back on the road.

"I thought it would be obvious. After Manchas went savage and nearly killed us I thought it would be a good idea to be able put a big animal down. Why?" Judy shook her head.

"Oh, I just wanted to know." Judy paused for a moment, not sure how to proceed. "...Nick? What did you mean when you said it would be bad if other animals found the kids?" Judy asked this quietly. She was fiddling with her paws and looking at her toes. She looked up and found that Nick was watching her from the corner of his eye. His gaze lingered on her for a moment. When he finally looked back to the road he spoke.

"I told you once that I have been hustling since I was twelve. You ever wonder why I started so young?" Judy thought about it. No, she hadn't given it much thought.

"Shouldn't you have been in school?" Nick nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I should have. I told you about what happened with the Junior Scouts, right? What I never told you is what happened afterward. I started by hustling kids at school out of their lunch money. Bootleg music, classmates' secrets, even 'pawsicles'. If they were willing to buy it I was willing to sell it. This went on for a couple years. I got pretty good. I was more focused on hustling than on my grades. My mom was furious. She told me there was no way I could live like that. That I needed to focus on school. Get a career. Be somebody. I got mad right back. I thought she didn't know what she was talking about. I thought 'I'll show her'." Nick chuckled, but it wasn't a happy sound. It made Judy's heart ache.

"I was such a little fool. Some local gang had offered me money to get info for them. I was stalling before, but after my fight with my mom I threw myself at the chance. I was going to bring in more money by hustling than she ever could by being an 'upstanding citizen'. For a few months it actually worked. But I wasn't happy. Me and my mom were growing apart. She told me again and again that being part of a gang would bring nothing but misery and I told her over and over that it didn't matter. That I had no other choice. Hm." Nick stopped there for a while to gather his thoughts. He took so long Judy began to wonder if he would continue. He finally did.

"I decided that to really show my mom I was right, I had to bring in even more. If one gang was worth so much, why not another? I started selling secrets to rival gangs. It worked at first. For about two months I brought in three times my mother's wages. I showed her how well I was doing. You know what? She was absolutely terrified. This much illegal money would cost me, she said. She told me to throw it away, get rid of it as fast as I could. I didn't understand. Here was proof that I could take care of her. But she was right in the end." Nick went quiet again. Judy reached and touched his arm to show him her support. Nick took a deep breath and continued.

"The gang I worked for, the first one anyway, found out what I was doing. They didn't like it. _Not one bit._ They sent an enforcer to my house. Middle of the night. I wake up to the sound of a moose smashing through the front door like it was styrofoam. I run to my mother's room and tell her to hide. I don't remember how, but I found myself in the attic. The moose found my mother first." Nick's eyes were tight as he recalled this memory. Judy, completely enthralled by his story, barely held back a gasp.

"Since he couldn't find me, the moose beat my mother. He shouted that this would end if I came out. My mother screamed to stay away. But she was my mother. I couldn't leave her like that. When I came out though…" Nick's vision was starting to get blurry. He slowed the interceptor. Then he pulled over and parked. Nick put both paws on the steering wheel and squeezed his eyes shut, his entire body tense. His body trembled and he gasped. Judy tried to interrupt.

"Nick, you don't have to-" Nick cut her off.

"No! No. I'll tell you. When I came out the moose stomped my mother. Right on her back. The sound she made. Judy, that sound will haunt me for the rest of my life. The moose roughed me up until I told him where my money was stashed. He took it and left. I barely made it to a phone. I called an ambulance. My mother died in surgery." Nick covered his eyes with his arm and leaned back against the headrest for a while. Judy let him collect himself. Judy was watching Nick intently as he started talking again.

"A social worker picked me up at the hospital. They put me in some home. But I was a fox and a known gang affiliate. No one cared when I left. I had to live somehow. But I couldn't stand the thought of working for a gang. So, I went to work for myself. That's how I started hustling at the age of twelve." Nick brought his arm down and let it fall limp at his side. He turned to look out the window, or maybe at his reflection in the glass, Judy couldn't tell.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?" Nick turned at the sound of a seat belt being unbuckled. When he did he found he was looking directly into the determined violet eyes of Judy Hopps.

"You are _not pathetic,_ Nick." Judy threw her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. Nick froze for a moment, stunned at this show of affection. Then he smiled. His eyes closed and he wrapped his arms around Judy's slender body, holding her to him tightly. He pressed his face to her neck and allowed himself a moment to just enjoy her warmth. Nick took in a long, deep breath.

"You're the best, Judy." Judy chuckled into the thick fur of Nick's neck.

"Ah, where's my pen? I need to get that recorded for posterity." Now it was Nick's turn to laugh. He pat her back and she let go. As Judy returned to her seat and put on her seat belt Nick smiled at her.

"You'll just have to wait until next time. Now, let's get back to work!" 


	4. Terror in Little Rodentia

By the time Nick and Judy made it back to Headquarters it was almost five-thirty in the afternoon. The whole place was swarming. The lobby looked like a refugee camp with hundreds of animals in disheveled clothes sitting tightly packed together. They were mostly miserably silent but a few children were crying. There was a queue for medical attention along one of the walls that seemed to go on forever. Cops, city workers, even members of the Bunny Scouts were running back and forth with supplies, instructions and messages. Some animals were carrying smaller animals with them from place to place to ensure those valuable workers didn't get trampled in the rush.

No one even noticed Judy and Nick walk in. They managed to wade toward Clawhauser's desk without getting trampled, with Nick having to hold his tail to make sure it didn't get stepped on. Clawhauser was on the radio but glanced up at them when they made it to his desk. He paused just long enough to shout 'Bullpen!' over the din and went right back to the radio. Nick and Judy turned to make their way to the Assignment Room.

Chief Bogo was shouting orders above what could only be considered controlled chaos in the Assignment Room. Animals with stacks and rolls of paper were running back and forth, sharing information and building plans to create responses to the long list of disasters today had become. There was a short queue of volunteers to Bogo's right. Only a few because he was constantly giving them instructions and assignments and orders. Judy and Nick joined the queue and were in front of Bogo in under a minute.

"Hopps! Wilde! Where have you been!? Never mind, we need you need you at Little Rodentia. You're the only officers we have that are small enough to help without destroying the buildings. Oversee the volunteers working there. Send McHorn back here when you see him. Get going!" Bogo swiped his hoof toward the door and turned to start barking orders at the next volunteer, clearly done talking to them. Judy and Nick turned on their heels and hurried out of the Assignment Room, through the busy lobby and out to the interceptor.

Nick only drove for a few minutes before they hit an impasse. They had to abandon the vehicle and run the rest of the way, adding ten minutes to their trip. When they made it to Little Rodentia they immediately spotted a huge, jagged hole in the protective fence surrounding the tiny district. There were black painted aluminum rods in various states of disrepair stacked to one side. A smoking public transport bus sitting on the rubble of what was once one of the tiny office buildings that littered the district was the obvious culprit. Since almost all of the interior visible through the windows was covered in dark blue dust it was also easy to guess _why_ the bus crashed.

Spotting a rhino in a police uniform, Judy hurried to tell Officer McHorn his new orders. The huge black rhino took off at a slow jog back to headquarters, snorting all the while. Judy immediately got to work familiarizing herself with the situation. Ten animals had been affected by the bus bombing. Most had been too small to cause large scale property damage. An elk and a yak, however, had managed to destroy several smaller shops and residential buildings. A few weasel, rabbit, and similarly sized volunteers were helping the residents of Little Rodentia clear the rubble and search for survivors. Judy took it upon herself to direct and assist the efforts taking place around the destroyed office building and volunteered Nick to help with the smaller buildings.

In spite of the small scale of these disasters (in literal scale only, the loss of life had been tremendous) they were still working on clearing that debris four hours later. Night had fallen and there was still some work to do. The work was still slow going even when considering these easy to move building. Shift the debris the wrong way and you could injure trapped rodents. They also had to be very mindful of the huge swaths of blue dust that had been spread by the savage animals on the bus. Some one had eventually brought enough gloves and face masks for volunteers to work through the powder. That did not mean they could be careless. They still had to show extreme caution to not disturb the dust too much, lest they kick it into the air. Who knew how much it would take to start affecting them?

Judy was on her knees under the crashed bus, clearing debris. Someone had brought out flood lamps when it started getting dark. It looked like they were almost done, another half hour until they were finished, hopefully. It became a simple process. Clear some debris. Let the rodent workers check for signs of life. Let them load any bodies they found, living or otherwise, into an awaiting ambulance. Clear some more debris and so on. She was just about finished scooping some debris into what one might have thought was a toy, but was actually a fully functioning rodent scale dump truck. As the little yellow truck trundled off and the rodent volunteers began to comb the newly exposed debris Judy sat back on her haunches and sighed. She reached behind herself and rubbed her aching back. She was getting seriously sore. Her head snapped over to her right, ears up and twitching, toward where the street lay beyond the hole in the fence surrounding Little Rodentia. There was screaming. Another attack? But there was no explosion! She spun to face an armadillo volunteer to her left, one she had gotten to know a little over the course of the afternoon.

"Armand, I need you to prepare to evacuate everybody. I'll be back once I know what's going on, okay?" Seeing him nod his assent, Judy turned and, careful to avoid any little volunteers, hurried from under the bus, heading directly toward the street. Judy stopped when she heard someone call out to her. She turned and spied Nick running toward her.

"You heard it too? Well, I mean, _of course,_ you heard it too." Nick said this as he ran past Judy, who turned and ran after him, easily catching up with the fox.

"We need find out what's happening! Then report it to HQ." Nick nodded his understanding and they both hurried to the source of the racket going from street light to street light. As they both turned a corner, Nick suddenly halted. He grabbed Judy's wrist before she could get away from him and pulled her with him back around the corner. Judy found herself suddenly in Nick's arms, back to his chest, with Nick leaning against the brick facade. Too confused to be embarrassed, Judy looked up to see Nick staring intently around the corner the two of them had just tried to pass.

" _Nick? What is it?"_ She whispered.

" _I… don't know."_ Was his quiet response. Regaining her feet, Nick released her. She noticed the screaming stopped. She sidled over and discreetly looked around the corner to take a look herself. What she saw shocked her. A completely hairless animal with ugly yellow skin covered in green blotches was crouched over the mutilated corpse of a zebra. It had long, thin limbs attached to a short, squat torso. The poor zebra's head was barely attached to its body, and it's torso had been opened from groin to to throat. The creature was eating the intestines out of the still steaming stomach cavity.

Judy and Nick were sickened by the sight. Judy knew they had to report this. But they couldn't do that from here. Not where whatever that was might hear. She pulled away from the corner and Nick looked down at her. She jerked her head toward Little Rodentia. Nick understood immediately. They both turned to go.

"Officer Hopps, we are getting reports-!" Judy's paw snapped to her radio and shut it off. Nick had already gone back to the corner to check on the monster. All he saw was the zebra's remains. When he turned back to Judy, she read his face instantly. They were in trouble.

"RUN!" They said in one voice. Judy rushed away with Nick right behind her. Nick glanced over his shoulder when he heard a meaty **THUD!** The creature had landed right on top of where they had just been standing. It towered over Nick and Judy at seven feet tall. Each gangly limb was tipped with three huge claws. The claws on its arms touched the ground while It stood, seeming to study the fleeing forms of the fox and rabbit with beady black eyes. It stayed this way for a long moment. Then it leaned forward and pushed off with one leg with terrific force.

Nick was alarmed to note the monster loping at them with huge strides, every step taking full advantage of its long legs. Nick snatched the tranq-gun tucked into the back of his belt and aimed at the creature. Not looking where you are running can be dangerous, however, and he ran right into a parking meter with a yelp of surprise and pain. The gun flew from his hand and into the air. Judy looked over her shoulder when she heard Nick's shout and spotted the gun just as it passed over her head. With a quick hop she managed to catch it with both paws.

Nick had barely recovered when the abomination was suddenly upon him. Nick threw himself to the ground from where he was half sitting, half leaning against the blue sedan that was parked next to the meter he had crashed into. The move saved him from a swipe that left three long tears in the metal door. Nick quickly rolled under the car to avoid a downward swipe that left three long marks on the pavement. He kept rolling until he had made it to the other side of the car and used all four limbs to push off the ground. The creature's claws passed within inches of Nick's face. Another swipe would have gotten him if had landed, but Nick managed to grab the sedan's side view mirror. He curled his entire body around it to stay off the ground.

 **Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!** Judy had drawn a bead on the monster and emptied her entire clip of tranquilizers into it. All five darts were in a tight group just left of the spine at the base of the neck. The monster swept toward Judy without pause and without a sound of discomfort. Judy's heart jumped into her throat at the sight of the ugly thing running at her with horrible, long arms extended into the air. She took off at a dead sprint toward where she was sure the interceptor was. Then she remembered that would take her right past Little Rodentia and all of the volunteers there. She decided to run across the street and hope the monster would chase her and not go after the poor volunteers.

Judy pivoted on one foot and took off toward the street at an angle. She flew over a small car and out into the street. She kept going without looking back, even though the sound of the creature running on the cars behind her was terrifyingly loud, filling the air with the sounds of shattering glass, collapsing sheet metal and car alarms. When it sounded like it was right on top of her she took a cue from Nick and threw herself to the ground and rolled under a convenient van. By the time the creature landed and swiped a claw under the van Judy was already running down the sidewalk on the other side. It noticed and resumed the chase.

Judy was thinking frantically. At this rate she would never make it to the interceptor. She was sure that thing would stop being fooled by jumping under cars eventually. She needed a plan. Plans needed information. Okay, what did she know? This thing was big, fast, and deadly. Judy was small, fast, and dangerous. Maybe she could find a choke point, a place where this thing couldn't follow. She scanned her surroundings. Nothing but shops and residential buildings. She couldn't use those without putting civilian lives in danger. Even if she got through a fence, this thing had a scaled a building in a few seconds. A fence might not slow it down at all.

This thing was gaining on her. Judy tried to put some distance between her and the nightmare. She rolled suddenly toward the street and sprang under a giraffe van. This one vehicle was too tall for it to jump over. It dodged around the van, but Judy did not appear on the other side. It ducked to the ground and checked under the van. Nothing. It looked under the car next to the van. Nothing. It crawled forward without a sound in spite of its huge claws and began to check under the other cars.

Judy, meanwhile, was hiding behind a thick tire on a tacky hot rod two cars in the opposite direction from the one her pursuer was looking under. She had shot from under the front of the van to under the back of the sedan in front of it and continued lengthwise down the street, using the tires as cover until she found her current hiding place. She was trying to regain her breath as quietly as possible.

Nick had been lagging rather badly behind this chase. He had never been as fast as Judy and though the Police Academy training course had worked wonders on his physique Nick knew he never would be. He was also _pretty_ sure his right knee was swelling from his collision with that parking meter. Nick spotted the creature prowling down the street about half a block away and took cover behind a parked car. He figured Judy must have given it the slip. Now Nick was wondering how he was going to signal her without the monster noticing.

Nick, having been completely focused on Judy's plight, had not noticed his cover was only a few cars away from the hole in the fence surrounding Little Rodentia. Armand the armadillo had been working diligently to organize the volunteers to evacuation readiness as Judy had asked when she left to check on some new disturbance. Everyone had been away from the fence and no one had seen Judy or the monster fly by. The many car alarms caused by their passing had made everyone concerned. So, Armand volunteered to check it out. Now he was standing by the hole in the fence, next to the aluminum rods, looking around for the cause of the noise when he spotted Nick only a few yards away, crouched by a car. Armand yelled to be heard above the noise of the multiple car alarms.

"Officer Wilde!?" Nick's stomach dropped to his toes. He spun around to stare in shock and disbelief at the armadillo standing by the broken fence. Then he spun to see that the whatever-it-was already sprinting over the cars towards them. Nick rushed toward Armand, swinging his arms and shouting.

"Hide! Hide! Just get out of here!" The huge creature rushing towards them from up the street filled Armand with fear and confusion and he froze, stiff as a board, right where he was standing. Nick ran a few yards past the frozen armadillo, planning to distract the monster away from the frozen armored mammal.

Judy had also noticed what was happening. She jumped out of her hiding place and sprinted towards Nick and Armand. Nick had turned to face the voiceless nightmare and pulled out his taser gun, prepared to do or die. Judy made it to the pair first and rushed Armand, grabbing him and pulling him down. The awful creature ignored the frantically waving Nick and went straight for the downed Judy and Armand. Armand, sensing the extreme danger, snapped into a ball. Judy desperately cast around for anything she could use and her paw closed around one of the aluminum rods. She rolled onto her back and held the rod on the ground against her side, pointed almost straight up.

Judy could see now the rod wasn't going to do her any good. The monster stood above her with claws held high, ready to strike her dead, dead, dead.

Nick took aim and fired his taser. The two prongs lanced out and caught the monster in the chest. Every muscle clenched and the creature toppled forward. The aluminum rod Judy held caught the monster in the sternum, punching through the center of the creature's chest and out its back. The creature hit the ground with a muffled **thud.** Nick kept using the taser until he was mostly sure it was dead. Then he rushed to where he saw Judy disappear below the monster.

"Judy?! Judy, where are you?!" Judy's reply was immediate.

"Nick! Get this thing off me, please! Nick, help me!" There was a touch of hysteria to her voice Nick had never heard before. Spotting movement by the head of the dead monster Nick rushed over. Judy's body and arms were trapped under its torso with only her shoulders and head sticking out. The creature's head was on it's side, facing toward Judy. Poor Judy was practically nose to nose with the dead abomination. Nick immediately crouched to lift the pale, naked shoulder as much as he could. This was enough to free Judy's arms. She desperately pushed at the neck and shoulder of the beast, trying to free herself of it's dead weight. Nick moved to assist her as fast as he could. Placing his paws under her shoulders, Nick braced his feet and prepared himself to pull.

"Alright, here we go. HNNG!" Using all the might his four foot frame possessed, Nick strained to pull Judy free. It went slowly at first, but they picked up speed until Judy was suddenly free. Nick wasn't ready for that. He fell on his back with Judy on top of him. As soon as Judy realized she was out from under the corpse she twisted around in Nick's grasp and threw her arms around him, clutching him tight. Nick could feel her shaking. He put one paw on her back and used the other to push himself into a sitting position, Judy still in his lap. Once he was upright Nick wrapped one arm around her shoulders and started stroking her ears, which were pressed tightly to the back of her head. Nick shushed her and continued to comfort her until the shaking passed. When it finally did, they both felt the moment when they should have moved away come and go. Still, the embrace lingered. After a minute of this Judy finally pulled back. Nick's paws moved to her shoulders, while Judy's paws were still wrapped loosely around his neck. She looked up at him, and violet eyes met green. She bashfully looked away.

"I think I stained your uniform. Sorry." Judy muttered. Nick smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I think after all of this I might have to throw it away. It's been a _very_ busy day, after all." Judy dropped her head on his shoulder and groaned.

"It's only been a _day?_ It feels like a week!" Nick patted her back and chuckled.

"Well, better get used to it. Because I am pretty sure tomorrow is going to be _worse._ " Judy thumped him on the shoulder her head wasn't pressed into.

"You are not-!" They were interrupted by Armand's scream.

"GAAH! WHAT IS THAT?!" Judy was on her feet instantly, ears up and scanning for danger. Nick, sensing there was no danger, got up in a more leisurely fashion. Armand was scrambling away from the mystery corpse as best he could without actually taking his eyes off of it. Nick took a few steps closer to it and began to really look at it.

"You know? Thats a _good_ question. If I had to guess…" Nick crouched by the corpse's head and gave the whole thing a good, long look. "It is a giant, hairless sloth." Judy moved to stand behind the crouched Nick and looked at the corpse from over his shoulder.

"A _sloth?_ That can outrun a rabbit. Can't be. How is that even possible?" Nick moved over to look at the claws more closely.

"Sure, it's a sloth! Look at these claws. Who do they remind you of?" Judy crouched down next to Nick and looked more closely at the claws. Now that she really was looking closely, they bore more than a passing resemblance to Flash's claws.

"Okay, it's a sloth. Now the question is who or what made a giant mutant attack sloth?" Nick shrugged, but his face became serious.

"I think if we knew that, we would know who is behind all of these attacks." Judy gave that some serious thought. Nick was right, this was all connected. Who would do this? Why would they? Assistant Mayor Bellweather targeted predators so she could consolidate her power under a banner of fear. These attacks did not follow that pattern at all. In fact, the only pattern showed so far was to spread savagery through Night Howlers as far as possible. Then there was this sloth. All it seemed good for was killing. So this wouldn't spread savages, just death. So far all the perpetrators wanted to do was spread death. Why though? Who would gain from that? Judy didn't know.


	5. Getting Complicated

After giving themselves a few minutes to recover after their near death experience with the giant killer sloth NIck volunteered to get the volunteers moving again, mostly to somewhere safe for the night. They did not want any one out after dark while there might be more mutant sloths out there. While Nick busied himself with that, Judy got on the radio and reported what happened to dispatch

Clawhauser replied and revealed there were already three other sightings across the city. One on the other side of Downtown, one in Sahara Square and one in the Rainforest District. Until the extent of this new threat was determined all animals were advised to find shelter for the night. Officers were to report to HQ only if they thought they could do so safely. Judy confirmed she received the report and cut the connection. She turned to go help Nick. She paused long enough to gather Armand the armadillo, who was lingering nearby, staring at the dead monster on the sidewalk.

Judy and Nick got all of the volunteers to a shelter, a nearby hotel that had volunteered to hold everyone associated with the cleanup efforts in Little Rodentia. After making sure everyone was accounted for, about fourteen volunteers, Nick and Judy, figuring it was _not_ safe to return to HQ, decided to turn in. A middle-aged wombat in a green uniform with a manager's tag on the breast pocket led them to a room.

"With all these volunteers and evacuees here we only have the one room. It is a double, though, so at least you'll each have your own bed. There is a continental breakfast available from six to nine thirty. Please call the front desk if you need anything. This is your room. Have a nice night." The wombat pointed to a door to their right, handed Nick a keycard and left. Judy ignored the wombat's sudden departure, snatched the keycard from Nick and let herself into the room. Nick glanced at the plaque on the door as he followed Judy in, noticing they were staying in room 109.

Nick let Judy use the bathroom first. While she took a shower, he turned the tv on to the news, though every channel was probably showing news at this point. They were reporting on the sighting of the other monsters.

"These unknown creature's are large and very aggressive," the moose co-anchor was saying. "They have killed several animals. All citizens are advised to find shelter for the night. We just received a picture…" Nick perked up and payed more attention. They showed a blurry camera phone photo. Nick was able to make out similarly long limbs, though this one was down on all fours. He zeroed in on one detail. Whatever this was had an unusually long snout. The sloth had no snout at all. So, there were more than one type of these freaks.

 _That's just perfect._ Nick rolled his eyes, turned off the tv, and flopped down on his bed. The mattress was a little oversized for him, but Nick was used to living in a world that was slightly larger in scale than he was. He was just dozing off when Judy came out of the bathroom. She was wearing her uniform with the shirt untucked and top two buttons undone. Her fur was a little damp and she was toweling her ears. When she finished she wrapped the towel around her neck and turned to the dresser the tv was sitting on. Pulling out the bottom drawer, she unloaded all her gear into it, even her belt, which left her standing in just blue slacks and blue button up shirt. She grabbed her radio before she closed the drawer and turned to go to her bed. She froze when she saw Nick sitting up. He was looking at her with obvious interest.

"What?" She brought the radio to her chest to shield herself a little from his searching gaze.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that usually you keep your uniform so _clean_ and _neat._ I've never seen you so disheveled before." Nick's smile as he said this was nothing short of predatory. "It's a good look for you."

Feeling her ears burning Judy turned away and hurried to her bed. She practically flew under the covers to hide herself from Nick. Nick laughed a little from his place on his bed. Then he hopped down and walked to the bathroom.

* * *

A few hours passed. Around two a.m. Judy gave up on sleep. The elephant smashing the white cat, Duke's crushed body and the mutilated zebra kept playing over and over in her dreams. She groaned and sat up, reaching over and turning on the lamp on the nightstand sitting between the two beds. The light illuminated Nick. She noticed he was laying on his back, arms spread out, on top of the covers. He was just wearing his slacks. His eyes were open and bloodshot, staring woodenly up at the ceiling. He turned his head slowly, first to look at the lamp uncomprehendingly, then to Judy. Judy gasped and covered her mouth with a paw. Nick looked devastated.

"Nick? Nick, what wrong?" Judy's voice was thick with concern. Nick continued to stare for a moment. He opened his mouth, closed it, swallowed, and opened it again.

"I had a bad dream." He was just staring at her now. Like she would disappear if he looked away. When it became clear he wasn't going to continue Judy spoke up.

"What was it? You might feel better if you tell me." Nick stared for minute, but Judy waited patiently. He eventually began.

"I missed." Judy was confused. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but Nick continued before she could. "I missed you and the elephant crushed you. I missed the wolf and it ripped you apart. I missed the sloth and it _tore you open._ " Judy was alarmed to see tears in his eyes. She threw back the covers and hopped to Nick's bed. She knelt beside him and put both paws on his face. She gently turned his head to face her. Kind, caring violet eyes met pained green.

"Nick-!" He surged off the bed before she could continue, wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face in the soft fur on the side of her neck. Judy's arms seemed to move on their own and wrapped around his neck. One paw rubbed his back while the other stroked the fur on the back of his head. She pressed her cheek against his head and shushed him.

"Shhh. Nick, it's alright. I'm here." He was shaking in her arms. They stayed that way for a while, Nick sitting up with Judy kneeling beside him, arms wrapped around each other. When Nick's shaking eased to a tremble he took a shaky breath.

"I think I stained your uniform." He mumbled. Judy's sensitive hearing picked up on it easily. With a wry smile she answered.

"Don't worry about it. I think I'm going to throw this uniform out anyway." Nick gave a choked laugh into her fur, then he was quiet again. He gave Judy a little squeeze.

"Promise me you won't go." Judy's heart broke, hearing his voice sound so hurt and desperate. She pressed her face more firmly against him and sighed.

"Don't worry, Nick. I promise. I won't leave you."

* * *

At five thirty the alarm Judy set on her phone began to go off. She didn't immediately turn it off and jump out of bed, as she usually did. She was too tired for that. And _comfortable._ She hadn't felt this comfy since she moved to this city. She buried her head into the warm fur it was pressed into and tried to ignore the incessant buzzing coming from the night stand. Then someone sighed into one of her ears and her eyes opened wide.

Judy became aware of her surroundings in an instant. She was on her side with her back pressed to Nick's chest. They were sharing a pillow with her head tucked under his chin. Her neck was lying across his arm. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her tight. Her face was currently pressed into his tail. Her arms were wrapped around it, holding it to her chest. She could feel where it lay across her hip.

They were spooning. Judy's body was still, but her mind was racing. What was she doing?!

Nick stirred against her and Judy felt the burning in her ears spread down her face all the way to her neck. Nick had worked hard to be able to keep up with Judy and it showed. Judy could certainly feel it. Nick raised his arm from her waist to grab her phone and turned off the alarm. Then he dropped the phone back on the nightstand and wrapped his arm around Judy's waist again. Judy didn't think it was possible for her blush to get more intense.

"I can _feel_ you freaking out. You alright?" His hot breath ran over her sensitive ears. Apparently, it _was_ possible for her to blush harder. She clenched her eyes shut and nodded into his tail. Nick didn't believe her. He decided that maybe discretion was the better part of valor and sat up. He let his paw linger on her hip while he spoke. "I'm going to the bathroom. It should take a few minutes." He took his paw from her hip and slunk off the bed and through the white door.

Judy was embarrassed to find she immediately missed his warmth. She slowly sat up on the bed and sank her face into both paws, trying to master her blush. After a minute she finally felt somewhat normal and hopped off the bed. She straightened up her uniform as best she could and replaced all of her gear. She was ready to go by the time Nick came out. He was also dressed and ready to go.

"Mind if we get breakfast, Carrots?" Judy let the nickname slide over her without bothering her. Nick was trying to restore some semblance of normalcy between them and she appreciated that. Judy agreed and they went to the dining room. They were the first ones there. Judy only remembered she hadn't had anything to eat for nearly twenty four hours when she spotted the breakfast buffet bar. She grabbed a cup of orange juice, two large banana nut muffins and two blueberry yogurts. Nick got a cup of black coffee, a bagel, and a plate of scrambled eggs. Judy refreshed her orange juice twice before she finished her meal.

After a breakfast that was actually much less awkward than he was expecting Nick had volunteered to contact HQ while Judy excused herself to the bathroom. When she was done she found Nick patiently waiting in the lobby.

"Dispatch wants us to guard the monster sloth and the bus that crashed into Little Rodentia. The National Guard will be coming by to pick up the critter and sanitize the bus. After that we return to HQ for further instructions." Judy nodded and they were on their way.

* * *

After several hours (and a multitude of bad jokes and puns that made Judy irritated and smile at the same time) an unmistakably military jeep drove up, followed by a large black van, followed by another jeep. They parked in the middle of the road, right across from the hole in the fence where the hairless sloth lay. No less than a dozen personnel disgorged from these vehicles. Two wolves, a boar, and an elk in grey military fatigues carrying assault rifles ran up first. The wolves and boar took up a triangle formation around the corpse while the elk ran to relieve Judy of her post. Judy and Nick had been told in no uncertain terms that they were to wait until they were told they could go.

Nick and Judy were waiting side by side next to the boar soldier when a tiger in a solid black uniform and beret walked up to them, leading about ten animals in hazmat gear. The tiger approached the cops while the hazmat team began preparing the sloth's corpse for transport. The boar soldier snapped a crisp salute and Judy emulated him. Nick's salute was somewhat less impressive and respectful.

"At ease." The tiger's voice was deep and rough. He towered over Nick and Judy at well over six feet. He was at least three hundred pounds and every ounce looked like pure muscle. His broad shoulders and barrel chest looked like they could explode out of his uniform. He stood with his arms loosely held behind his back. The cops and soldier lowered their arms and the tiger continued. "Hello, my name is Colonel Biao. If you can answer a few questions for me we can get you on your way. That seem fair?" Nick's opinion of this guy was already improving. He had expected to be harassed, but it seemed like this might turn out to be a reasonable conversation. Colonel Biao continued.

"Could you tell me what time the specimen died?" Judy stepped forward to answer.

"Corporal, sir, the specimen died at approximately twenty one forty hours, sir!" Nick could hardly contain his amused smile. Oh, Judy, so eager to please. If the colonel was amused, he certainly showed no sign.

"Did the specimen have contact with any animals while it was alive?" Judy winced.

"Sir, the specimen killed a zebra. I don't know if any other contact was made." The colonel's face didn't so much as twitch at the mention of another animal's death.

"Could you give us the location of the corpse?" Nick spoke up from place beside and slightly behind Judy.

"It's only a block away. I can lead your people to it, if you want." The tiger looked to Nick as he started speaking. When he was done he looked to the boar soldier.

"Do it." He ordered tersely. The soldier nodded.

"Yes, sir. Officer, after you." Nick turned and stepped through the hole in the fence and began leading the boar up the street. The boar gestured with his hoof as he passed the hazmat team and three broke away to trail after him. The tiger turned back to Judy.

"Has anyone made contact with the specimen after it died?" Judy winced again, noticeably.

"Um, yes sir. The specimen died when it fell on that rod. And, you see, I was, um, holding the rod. I was trapped under the corpse for a minute. My partner had to help get me out from under it." Judy felt the fur on the back of her neck prick up under the steady gaze of the tiger colonel. Nothing changed about his face or posture, but Judy could sense the mood shift to something more grave.

"Has anyone else come into contact with the specimen?" Judy was starting to wilt under the colonel's intense look.

"No, sir, not to my knowledge." The tiger shifted slightly

"Not to your knowledge?" He prompted.

"Well, sir, my partner and I did not know if there were more of these things. We took shelter for the night. The corpse was unaccompanied for approximately eight hours. Sir." The colonel's eyes tightened just enough for Judy to notice.

"I see." Then he was silent. Judy stood with her ears pressed to the back of her head, looking at her toes and trying not fidget. She didn't speak. She knew they were waiting for something. She just didn't know what.

Time seemed to crawl by. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity under the colonel's steady gaze Nick finally returned. He noticed the atmosphere immediately. He glanced from the imposing colonel to the frightened Judy.

"Hey, did I miss something?" The colonel looked to one of the wolf soldiers.

"Take them." The soldier did not utter a sound of acknowledgment, he just took his sidearm from its holster and drew a bead on Judy. Judy was fast, but her desperate dodge away from the colonel wasn't fast enough. **Thwip!** A tranq-dart struck home in her neck. She fell on her butt, looking up blearily as Nick desperately rushed towards her. **Thwip!** A dart appeared in his side. Nick collapsed at her feet, struggling to keep moving through the paralyzing fatigue spreading through his body. Judy fell back and knew no more.

* * *

Judy woke up alone in a bare metal room. The floor and walls were featureless. The ceiling had had one fluorescent bulb shining through plexiglas to illuminate her cell. She sat up slowly, trying to calm her aching head. She realized she was wearing faded red scrubs. She glanced around, not noticing anything at first. Studying her cell more closely revealed a door. It looked like a half inch deep, six foot tall, three foot wide depression in the wall. She stood from her place on the floor and approached the door. She knocked and called out.

"Hello? Hello! Can someone hear me?! What am I doing in here?!" Judy continued to bang on the door and call out for a few more minutes. Seeing no result and realizing it was making her headache worse Judy decided to stop. She paced her cell for a minuted and tried to calm down. She sat in a corner and drew her knees up. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her aching head on her knees. She wondered where Nick was.

This was the position she was in when the door slid into the wall twenty minutes later. Judy's head snapped up and she spotted a raccoon in green scrubs and a lab coat standing in the doorway. He was flanked by two wolves wearing white security uniforms.

"Judy Hopps. Please come with me." The raccoon stepped back from the door and gestured to his right, clearly indicating where he wanted her to go. Judy thought to protest, but then she spotted the pistols holstered on the guards hips. Setting her face in a scowl she stood and did as the raccoon asked. One guard walked in front of Judy and the raccoon while the other guard walked behind. Judy decided to fish for information.

"Where am I?" Best to keep it simple. The raccoon answered.

"You are in a government funded, state-of-the-art facility designed to identify, study, and contain all manner of infectious disease." Judy was annoyed. That did not actually tell her where in the world she was! Seeing that the raccoon was not going to elaborate further Judy asked another question.

"Why am I here?" The raccoon dipped its head and spoke.

"You are here because you came into close contact with a biological entity that has presented itself as a possible carrier of a heretofore undiscovered pathological mutagen." It took a moment for Judy to parse what the raccoon was saying.

"Mutagen?" Judy prompted with some trepidation. The raccoon dipped its head again.

"We ran a DNA analysis on the specimen you killed and found an exact match. His name was Mortimer Spurrelli. He disappeared eighteen months ago. He was a normal sloth in every way." Judy felt her blood chill. Was she infected? Wait, why was the raccoon telling her this?

"Why are you telling me? Shouldn't this be classified?" The raccoon nodded again.

"It is classified. If you let this information leak you will be censured to an extreme degree. I am telling you this because I want to impress on you the gravity of this situation and to ensure your complete cooperation. Machines can only tell us so much. We need you to volunteer every thing you feel to us. Your moods. Your thoughts. Any strange pains or sensations. Every bit of data is precious when dealing with the unknown." The group of four stopped in front of a solid white door with a little black panel next to it. The panel had two red LEDs glowing steadily in the upper right corner. The lead guard swiped a keycard in front of the panel and the red LEDs blinked green twice and returned to red. The white door swung inward without a sound. Judy followed the guard into what could have passed as any typical medical exam room she had ever seen. White walls. White floor. Beige cabinets. Grey examination table complete with paper cover. Judy almost laughed. This was supposed to be state-the-art?

"Please, sit on the examination table." The raccoon had pulled a pair of spectacles out of a breast pocket on his lab coat. He put them on with one hand and grabbed a chart from a holder on the wall by the door. The first guard had gone to stand in a corner and was watching the room coolly, paws crossed in his lap.

Judy rounded on the doctor.

"If you want my cooperation, you can have it. But _only_ if I can see my partner. I need to know he is safe and unharmed." Judy looked determined. The doctor sighed.

"You know, your partner said the same thing. He was considerably less polite than you, to be sure. Fine." The doctor turned to the second guard. He was lingering by the door. "Bring him here." The guard turned and left without a word. Judy did not budge from her spot in the middle of the room for the three minutes it took to retrieve Nick. Judy heard Nick before she saw him. The considerably taller wolf was holding Nick by the scruff and pushing him before him like a disobedient child.

"..easy, Lurch, or ya might get hurt. Hey, do me a favor and tell your friend I would love to sign his cast!" Nick was shoved into the room ahead of the guard and fell to the floor. He jumped up, ready to fight. Then he spotted Judy. Nick froze and Judy gasped. Nick was muzzled!

"Oh, hey there, Carrots. Fancy meeting you here."


	6. Not Escape, Exactly

"Oh, hey there, Carrots. Fancy meeting you here."

Judy stepped up to Nick and studied his face. He had a black eye, scratches all over and a split lip. And he was muzzled! Judy spun to face the doctor, who had taken a seat on a stool by the beige cabinet, reading his chart.

"What did you do to him?!" She demanded.

"What did we do? Why, all we did was defend ourselves. Your partner has been most unruly." The raccoon did not look up from his chart. Halfway through his explanation he actually raised the first page and started reading the one underneath. Nick took exception to his statement.

"Yeah, well, you try being friendly with people who lock you in a metal box for two days! It can really wear on a guy's sense of calm!" Judy was confused.

"Two days? I've been out for that long?" She directed this question to the doctor. He glanced up from his chart momentarily.

"Hm? Oh, yes. The dosage of the tranquilizer was much too high. You had to spend some time in the intensive care ward." The doctor was back to reading his notes. Judy was struck by how casually he said that. Did he really not care if she died? Who were these people?

"She's been in intensive care this entire time?! What is the matter with you people?!" Nick was shouting as best he could through the muzzle. The guard in the corner growled warningly. Nick spun to face him. "Watch it, princess, or I'll take your squeaky toy!" The growling ratcheted up a level and the guard advanced threateningly. Judy put her paw on Nick's arm. He looked down to see her expressive violet eyes were frightened.

"Nick, please stop. They might separate us." The doctor looked up from his notes and agreed.

"Yes, we will. That's quite enough, Franklin." The wolf went quiet and resumed his post in the corner. The doctor continued. "We will allow you to remain together and even improve your accommodations _if_ you behave. Continue this disruptive behavior and you can wait in your 'metal box' until we are done with your friend here. Understand?" Nick looked into Judy's pleading eyes for a moment. Then he closed his eyes, tilted his head back and released a breath.

"Fine. I understand. I'll behave."

* * *

Nick and Judy went through a marathon of physical tests and examination. Nick had been poked and prodded until he was ready to tear out some fur in frustration. Judy took it more calmly, but she didn't like it any better than Nick. Then they were placed on a treadmill and hooked to so many wires Nick complained he felt more machine than animal. They were forced to run for as long as they were able while every vital sign, brainwave and chemical balance imaginable was monitored and recorded. Still gasping from the run the wires were replaced with patches that sent information back wirelessly and they were forced to spar with guards one after the other until they were barely conscious, lying on the floor. They were allowed a brief rest, some water and some awful tasting ration bars. Then they were hooked up to the wires again and swam in an artificial current of cold water. Then back to the treadmill, only now the room was heated until they no longer had the strength to run. They were poked and prodded again but Nick was too tired to complain. Then they were asked question after question after question on how and what they felt during the exercises. The questioning went on for what felt like hours.

Now they were resting. They were in what looked like a hospital recovery room. Two adjustable beds, bland wallpaper, white tile floor. No tv, Nick had noticed. They each had chosen a bed and collapsed. That had been some time ago. Nick was still tired and sore, but at least his head was clear now. He looked over at Judy. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. Her ears were twitching something fierce, though

"Hear anything useful?" Judy's eyes crinkled up at the sound of Nick's voice. Then her face relaxed and her eyes opened, ears coming to a rest. She adjusted herself a little, trying to get more comfortable.

"No, not really. The guards are on irregular patrols. That's all I could figure out." Judy settled back into her reclined bed. Nick snorted.

"Well, oh well, I guess." Nick let out a great sigh. "Today really sucked, huh?" Judy managed to crack a smile.

"Better get used to it. 'Cause I think tomorrow is going to be _worse!_ "

* * *

The second day of testing had come and gone. Now Nick and Judy were back in their room. Both were sitting on Judy's bed, side-by-side. They were holding paws. Both were staring at the wall with wide, traumatized eyes. Nick spoke first.

"That was _worse._ "

They each had been strapped to a table so tightly it was hard to _breathe._ Then they were crammed into separate MRIs. The claustrophobia had been intense, especially for Nick. They stayed in the MRIs for nearly ten hours. They had been asked a daunting array of questions, all designed to map the mind. Then they were shown a long list of pictures that varied from the mundane to the magical to the macabre. Then they were forced to answer test questions. If they got it wrong they were shocked, with every wrong answer increasing the power. All of this and more had been done to them in an effort to learn about their brains to an encyclopedic degree.

But now it was over, for now. Judy turned and buried her face in Nick's shoulder. She moaned pitifully.

"Nick, I want to go _home._ " Judy was was on the verge of tears. Nick drew their combined paws to his lap and patted them with his other paw.

"Don't worry, Judy. We'll make it through this."

* * *

The testing continued in this fashion for four more days. Each day brought them to the edge of their mental, emotional and physical limits. Now it was the fifth day and they had been brought back to the examination room where they had been reunited. The Doctor, as they had come to call him (they had never been given a name, and all attempts to ascertain one were ignored) was again sitting on the stool, reading notes off a clipboard. Franklin the wolf guard was standing in the corner again. Nick and Judy were sitting on the examination bench, holding paws. The doctor dropped his clipboard on the counter and turned to them.

"Congratulations. There's nothing wrong with you." This frank statement stunned Judy into thoughtless immobility. Not so much for Nick.

" _ **WHAT!?**_ " Nick exploded. " _ **What do you mean, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG!? WHAT WERE ALL THOSE TESTS FOR!?"**_ Nick wasn't sure when he had released Judy's paw and jumped from the exam table, but he suddenly found himself right in front of the Doctor. The raccoon waved down Franklin and looked back to Nick through his spectacles.

"The tests were to see if you had been changed in anyway by your contact with the mutagen, Mr. Wilde." The Doctor answered simply. Nick pulled away from the raccoon scientist and paced across the room. Then he paced back to the Doctor, abruptly changed course and returned to the exam table. He leaned against it, trying to get himself under control. This place had really damaged his sense of calm. He took a deep, steadying breath and released it through his nose. He looked up when he felt Judy's paw on his shoulder. She smiled for him and he smiled back. Judy looked toward the Doctor.

"If there is nothing wrong, was there ever any mutagen? Were we ever infected?" This is what Judy really wanted to know. The raccoon chuckled.

"Of _course,_ you were infected. You think I would waste so much time on you if there was _nothing there?"_ Judy had to squeeze Nick's shoulder to calm him before he did something they would both regret. Nick did have a question.

"Then _where is it?"_ Nick hissed between his teeth. The Doctor answered with the same unflappable calm he always did.

"It seems your bodies fought it off like any other infection. Lucky you. Franklin?" The guard moved from his vigil in the corner and ushered the two out the door.

* * *

Nick and Judy were each given a binder full of non disclosure agreements nearly an inch thick. They had to print, sign, date and initial every paper. A middle aged elk in a suit explained that they should never so much as _hint_ at anything they saw or learned in this facility _or else._ Their cover story was that they had been part of a standard decontainment protocol. They were to stick to that cover story _or else._ They were never to discuss the creature they had seen or anything they had learned about it _or else._

Judy and Nick were each given a plastic bag containing everything they had on them when they were captured. Then they were pushed into the back of a black, windowless van and told that if they hadn't placed their scrubs in the receptacle by the time they made it to their destination they would be summarily executed. The doors were slammed shut without further explanation. Now Judy and Nick sat across from each other in the back of the van. Neither were quite sure what to do. Nick broke the silence.

"I don't think they were kidding about the scrubs. Better change." He stood and moved to the front of the hold and began to strip. Judy watched from behind as he pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it in the hole in the front of the hold. Her eyes wandered from his lithe shoulders, down his strong back and to his slim waist. She looked away when he reached for his waistband. She shook her head, stood and began to strip.

* * *

The two were dropped off in front of Judy's apartment building at around three in the afternoon, wearing their ruffled police uniforms. They were the only two animals on the street. Judy was shocked at the state of her building. Many of the windows were shattered and there was obvious smoke damage around a window on the fifth floor. She looked around. While some were worse than others, all of the buildings seemed to be damaged. Judy and Nick stood there on the sidewalk for nearly a minute, taking in how much the city had changed. Judy felt uneasy standing in the open, though, and led Nick up to her apartment so they could get cleaned up. It took over an hour to get uniforms clean enough to be presentable.

They went to the little market that had sold Judy the disappointing 'Dinner for One' only to find it closed with shutters down. They walked down the street and were quite pleased to find a gas station still open. There was a Chinese pangolin behind the counter. The shelves were depressingly bare. Nick spotted a few small bags of chips on the floor, apparently spilled in an earlier rush. He swiped the bags from the floor while Judy hunted for something to drink in the ransacked display coolers. She found a couple of beverages lying on the back of the refrigerated shelves. A banana flavored milk and a bottle of 'health-water' with a tye-dye label. They bought the snacks and began the long trek to HQ, eating along the way. It took well over an hour on foot.

It was just after 6 P.M. when they walked into HQ. Compared to the last time they were here the place was quiet as a tomb. The refugee animals were all gone and so was the queue for medical attention. There were no volunteers or police or city workers running to and fro. The only living soul they could see was Clawhauser. Far from his usual enthusiastic self, he was sitting in his chair and was face-down on the desk. As the duo approached his desk they noticed soft snoring.

"Uh, Clawhauser? Buddy?" Nick called out. With a snort the overweight cheetah shot up in his chair.

"Wha-huh? Oh, Nick! Judy!" He looked from the fox to the rabbit with a wide smile." Oh-Em-Goodness! I'm so glad you're back! When the chief said you were in some decontainment facility I thought you got anthrax or something! Are you alright?" The genuine concern in his tone was comforting to hear. Judy answered for the both of them.

"Yeah. Just glad to be out. Is the chief here? We wanted to report in." The cheetah nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah! He's in his office. Take it easy, though. He's been cranky ever since this mess started. Again, glad to see you back. Good luck!" He waved to them as they walked by and Nick and Judy both waved over their shoulders back to him. They were both smiling as they turned away to walk to Bogo's office.

"It's nice, seeing a friendly face. Haven't been enough of those, lately." Judy hummed her agreement. They put on their serious faces as they approached Bogo's office door. Judy knocked.

"Get in here!" Bogo's voice came immediately. Judy and Nick hurried inside. They both hurried a little a little faster when they saw the severe look on the huge cape buffalo's face. Bogo spoke as soon as they were in front of his desk.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your _little vacation,_ " A muscle in Nick's jaw twitched, but he kept his peace. "Because it is most certainly _over._ The city is in a state of emergency, civilians are _dead_ and officers are _down._ Everyone is working triple shifts. Do I make myself clear?" His voice was calm, clear and dangerous. Judy and Nick both stood ramrod straight and spoke in unison.

" _YES, SIR!"_ Bogo didn't look pleased so much as _less severe_. He nodded once.

"Good. The city is in lock-down and there are several important sites that need constant guard. One in particular is being constantly attacked. Emergency Ration Storage. A group consisting of several weasels and rodents are digging in daily and stealing food. We need you to track them down and stop them. Bring them in _alive_ if at all possible. Dismissed." Bogo immediately turned to some papers and maps on his desk. He glanced up when Nick and Judy didn't turn to leave. "What is it?"

"Um, 'alive if possible', sir?" Judy prompted. She looked confused, as did Nick. Bogo stared at them for just a moment. Then realization crossed his face. He sighed and brought a hoof up to rub at his forehead, just below his horns.

"You missed the announcement. Right. The mayor has issued an executive order allowing all officers the use of lethal of force. All policeman have been issued a firearm. Stop by the armory to get outfitted." Judy couldn't believe it.

"But, sir! Lethal force has never-!" Bogo interrupted. Loudly.

"You think I like this, Hopps?! You think I don't hate the idea of _my officers_ **killing** _the citizens they swore to protect?!"_ Bogo was standing now, hoofs on his desk and leaning towards Judy. Judy's ears were down and she was looking at the floor, chastened. Nick was glaring straight forward, hating that Bogo was yelling at Judy, but also knowing this had to be said. Bogo lowered himself back into his seat and continued.

"It comes down to numbers. Let one of the savages go and they could infect or kill other citizens. An unchecked criminal can threaten the lives of hundreds with their selfish actions. I'm sorry, but it's time to make the hard call. Get out there. Stop the food theft. Even if it means ending their lives. Dismissed." Judy turned and left the office with her head down.

Nick lingered in front of Bogo's desk. Bogo looked at him.

"Yes, Officer Wilde, what is it?" Bogo asked. Nick shifted a little where he stood, but he looked the cape buffalo in the eye.

"How bad is it, sir? Really?" Bogo leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. He opened his eyes and looked straight at Nick.

"It's a God-damn nightmare."

* * *

Judy was standing in the hall in front of the armory, waiting for Nick to finish getting his gear. She had a new holster on her hip. She brushed a paw against it for what had to the fourth or fifth time in the last two minutes. It felt heavy. She hated it. It stood against everything she believed in. She had never wanted to kill another thinking, feeling animal. She became a cop so she could be an example of what she wanted everyone to be. That example was _never_ supposed to include ' _Killer'._

Nick finally stepped through the door and Judy couldn't help the glare she directed at the new holster on _his_ hip. She closed her eyes, turned away and crossed her arms over her chest. Nick shook his head at this display. Judy couldn't have been more obvious about how upset she was if she shouted it in his ear. He came up next to her and bumped her with his hip. She looked at him sharply. Nick let the glare roll over him without bothering him, as he usually did when she was upset.

"Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to use it, you know. It is entirely possible you won't ever have to use that thing at all. In fact, I would advise against it. Your aim was never your strong point." Judy huffed and turned to walk down the hall. Nick turned to trail after her. Judy began to talk as they were walking.

" _My aim_ has never been an issue, and you know it. Probably better than yours." They came out of the hallway into the main lobby and went straight for the front door. Clawhauser practically hid behind his desk when he saw Judy go stomping by with a glower. Nick waved to him with an apologetic look on his face as he passed by. Judy practically threw the front door open as she walked outside. Nick had to increase his pace to catch up with her as she stomped in the direction of the car park.

"Then what _is_ the problem?" Nick prompted from next to her. The sooner she got this out of her system the sooner this tantrum would pass.

"We are _supposed_ to be _cops_ , Nick. Not _killers!_ That's all these abominations are good for. Killing." Judy put a paw on the holster and shook it to emphasize her point. " And I have one with me, _right now,_ that I am supposed to use on a civilian if I _think_ that civilian is a threat to me! How am I supposed to say I am any better than a savage if I solve my problems by _murdering them?!_ " Nick had never seen Judy _quite_ this upset before

"Would have been handy when we were running for our lives from that sloth." Judy scoffed.

"That sloth couldn't have possibly done more damage than any animal armed with a gun could!" Now it was Nick who scoffed.

"That thing almost killed you, Judy." Judy angrily threw her arms to the side, almost hitting Nick in the process.

" _That doesn't matter! I don't-!"_ Nick's paw clamped down on Judy's wrist and pulled her around to face him. She would have fallen but Nick took hold of both her shoulders. He was almost lifting her off the ground. He leaned in until they were nose to nose. Shocked violet locked with fierce green.

" _What did you say?"_ His voice came out in a furious whisper. It sent chills up Judy's spine. " _Did you just say 'It doesn't matter'? Is that what you think? That it doesn't matter if you die!"_ Judy gasped as Nick punctuated this statement with a jerk of her shoulders. " _Well, I've got news for you,_ Judy Hopps! I promise that whatever kills you will kill me! So think about that before you go **throwing your life away!** " Nick's voice had risen from a whisper to a shout during his tirade. He released Judy and brushed past her. Judy stumbled but caught herself. She turned to stare after his retreating form, raising a paw to her chest to feel her rapidly beating heart. She stood this way for a few a seconds. Then she took off after him.

"Nick, wait!"


	7. POP! Goes the Weasel

"Where is the car?!" Nick was standing in the car park. Just before him was their designated parking space. It was empty. He turned and began checking the rest of the spaces. It would only take a minute because the car park was mostly empty. Judy caught up to him as he was half way through.

"Nick-!" He interrupted.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you. It won't happen again." Nick did not turn to face Judy as he said this. He just kept walking to the next police interceptor, intent on checking the ID number.

"Nick, that's okay-!" He interrupted again.

"No, it's not okay! It's unaccep-!" Now Judy interrupted.

"Nick, look at me!" She grabbed his wrist and forced him to stop. When he didn't turn to her she begged him to do so. "Nick, please look at me. I _need_ to talk to you. Please." Nick hesitated for a moment, but he did turn to face Judy. Her pleading look made him feel guilty. "Nick, you just promised me you would die with me. Why would you say that?" Nick shifted in place and looked down. Judy glanced down in surprise when he shifted the wrist in her grip so that his paw could grab her wrist. She looked back to his downturned face when he began to speak.

"Because...Because it's true. Because you're my best friend. Because…" Nick raised his head and looked Judy in the eye. "I love you, Judy, and I can't imagine my life without you. I _won't_ imagine my life without you in it." Judy was taken aback by the sheer _emotion_ in Nick's voice. She gripped his wrist tighter and tried to think of something to say. She couldn't really focus while staring into his intense, beautiful green eyes, though, and she looked away. Nick felt hurt, but then Judy stepped into him, resting her forehead on his chest. She released his wrist and moved her arm so she could grab his paw. It was nearly a minute before she spoke.

"Nick, I-" She swallowed thickly. "I love you, too." Nick felt elated. He raised his free arm, placed his paw under her chin and used it to gently raise Judy's face so he could look into her beautiful violet eyes. She nearly gasped at his dazzling smile. Before she knew what was happening he ducked down and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes opened wide, then slid closed. She stood on her toes, pressing herself into the kiss. They stood that way for a minute, enjoying their first kiss together. Finally, they pulled apart. They pressed their foreheads together and smiled at each other.

"AWWW! You guys! I'm so happy for you!" They jerked apart at the unexpected voice. They both looked around in surprise, then Judy reached for her radio.

"Clawhauser? You know what happened?" She asked into the mic. Nick turned to look at her as she spoke.

"Yeah! Don't you guys know there's a camera out there? And the feed comes straight to my desk! I saw everything. How romantic!" At the mention of it, Nick remembered that there was, indeed, a camera. He turned to face it, mounted to the corner of the HQ building. Feeling too good to be annoyed, he just smiled and waved at the camera with good humor. Judy, feeling just a little embarrassed to have discovered that a very personal moment had had an audience, turned away and covered her eyes with both paws.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Judy! Everyone's been wondering when you two would get together. The way you guys act, it was obvious you had feelings for each other!" Judy's ears were getting hot. Had everyone known about her feelings except her!? Nick saved her from further embarrassment by grabbing his own mic.

"Alright, buddy, that's enough. Why don't you tell me where our car is?" Nick couldn't wipe the smile off his face, even as he tried to use work to change the direction of the conversation.

"Oh, that's easy. Someone tried to break in and the passenger window is busted up pretty bad. It's still in the garage. I doubt anyone has had the time to fix it, though. Come in and I'll give you the keys to one of the spare cruisers."

* * *

Nick and Judy were on their way to the Emergency Ration Storage facility. They had gotten the keys to the spare cruiser only after nearly ten minutes of congratulations and well-wishes from Clawhauser. The spare cruiser was designed with the average police animal in mind and was much too large for Judy and Nick. Judy couldn't drive it at all and Nick had to sit on the very edge of the seat to reach the pedals. The silence between them was comfortable. Occasionally Nick would look over at Judy and smile. She would smile back and tell him to watch the road. After twenty minutes and a few close calls(Nick could barely see over the dash, after all) Nick pulled into the ERS parking lot. It was after seven and night was starting to fall.

"We need to move. I don't want to be out after dark. Let's get in there and get this over with." Nick was saying as they walked to the front door. As soon as they were in the door they were greeted by Officer Francine, an african elephant.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Francine's voice was surprisingly light and feminine, considering her enormous size. "If it isn't Hopps and Wilde. Haven't seen you for awhile. Heard you got sent to quarantine. Didn't get powdered, did ya?" Judy smiled at Francine while Nick shrugged and vaguely gestured with a paw.

"Something like that. Had to sign a lot of paper promising not to talk about it. So, I heard you have been having a rodent problem. Care to show us the scene of the crime?" Francine stood from the enormous folding chair situated by the front desk and jerked her head towards a door in the back of the lobby.

"Sure. Right over here. The thefts started two days ago. The warehouse is too big to watch every corner." Francine explained this as she ducked through the just big enough door into a hallway. She continued as they walked. "We have four officers and a dozen volunteers constantly patrolling the place, but that's not nearly enough. You'll understand when you see it." Francine ducked through another door at the end of the hall with Nick and Judy following. They found themselves in a cavernous warehouse. The ceiling was fifty feet high. The walls they could see had to have been a thousand feet apart and they couldn't even see the far wall. Nick and Judy looked around in awe.

"You were _not kidding._ It would take a hundred animals to watch this place!" Nick said. Francine just nodded and motioned with her trunk for them to follow her. She explained more as they walked.

"We found this first hole when the workers took inventory. They had to because of the state of emergency. All commerce in and out of the city has been cut off to prevent the spread of the savage animals or any of the powder. So, the city has started to use its emergency stores. The workers noticed some crates were missing. More than lousy book-keeping could account for, anyway. They went checking the crates and found one in the wrong place. They moved it and found it was covering a hole in the floor. Been there for a long time apparently. Turns out the thefts had been going on for years." Judy perked up at that.

"Then why do you say it started two days ago?" Francine glanced back at Judy then looked forward.

"Well, they took inventory right? So, now they know where everything is. So they go back the next day to pick up some medical supplies and the crate is empty. Wasn't empty the day before. So they had about four dozen workers out here, all the city could spare really, checking all the crates. Took all day. They found four more holes, too. That was yesterday. Today they checked again and two crates of food were empty. So, now they know for sure thefts are currently going on. The holes are too small for any of the other cops to check out. So we patrolled and hoped we could catch them in the act. Well, now you're here and can follow them back to the source. Here we are." They had followed Francine through a labyrinth of racks filled with labeled boxes and stacks of palleted crates. Now they stood next to a hole in the cement under one of the racks, marked by three red safety cones. Francine stood next to the rack and ducked to look at the hole while Judy and Nick were able to stand next to it under the rack. Nick took out his flashlight and shone it into the hole. The hole was a rough hewn circle about a foot wide and six feet deep.

"What Francine, you couldn't make it in there with your girlish figure?" Nick smiled sardonically at the hefty officer. She stared back at him blankly, eyes half-lidded.

"Officer Hopps?" Francine dead panned, without looking away from Nick.

"Yeah." Judy reached back and slugged Nick in the arm.

"OW!" He rubbed his arm with his other paw and glared lightly at Judy. She looked back at him with brows raised, eyes daring him to say anything. Nick rolled his eyes and conceded. "Fine, I deserved that. Can we go now?" Judy nodded.

"Sure, I'll go first." She turned to the hole, but stopped when Nick grabbed her shoulder.

"Ah, who has the superior night vision? That would be _me._ I'll go first." He pulled Judy back from the hole and stepped forward. As Nick began to shimmy down the hole Judy turned to Francine.

"You said there were four other cops here, right? Could you get them ready to come back us up when we have a location?" Francine nodded her heavy head.

"Of course! That was the plan all along. Once you're down there, signal the all clear and we'll be ready in five minutes." Judy nodded her thanks and turned to go after Nick.

Nick had already reached the bottom of the hole. It terminated in a three foot diameter tunnel dug into the dirt below the warehouse's foundation. He let himself drop to the bottom, careful to be quiet. Looking around he saw the tunnel came to an end shortly to his left and continued into the darkness on his right. Then he crouched and took a few steps down the tunnel to make room for Judy. She landed behind him shortly. He signaled her and she looked back to the hole.

"Alright Francine, it's clear!" They both heard her confirmation and both felt the fading thumps of the elephant jogging away. Nick turned to Judy and began a hushed conference.

" _Okay, I want to keep the element of surprise. So, no flashlights. You grab my tail and I'll lead you. Ready?"_ Judy nodded firmly.

" _Ready."_ Nick turned away and presented his tail. Judy gripped it as firmly as she dared, careful not to hurt him. She was glad to have something to hold onto, as only a few feet from the hole the tunnel became unbearably dark. The complete lack of sight made her hyper-aware of her other senses. She felt the unevenly packed dirt below her feet. She could smell the moist earth. She heard Nick's soft breaths. Feel his heartbeat thrum through his tail. Felt her own heart beating in her chest. She honestly couldn't tell if she was excited or scared.

Judy looked ahead and saw a spot of light. As it got closer it turned into another hole in the ceiling. Judy scrambled up and confirmed it lead to the warehouse. She came back down and they continued their trek down the tunnel. The tunnel turned sharply several times, zigzagging under the warehouse floor. They found six more holes leading into the warehouse, though three of them had a crate or box covering it from above. After the last hole the tunnel turned sharply and went straight for quite a while.

Now they had reached the end of the tunnel. There was a three foot by two foot hole in the ceiling, covered by a sheet of plywood. A step ladder lead to the top. After Nick guided her to it, Judy climbed the ladder and pressed an ear to the plywood, listening for signs of animals on the other side. After a tense two minutes she determined it was clear. She reached up to move the panel, but found she didn't have the strength. Nick, seeing her struggle, climbed the ladder to help her. Judy froze, feeling Nick press against her back. Unable to see him in the dark, she had to ask.

" _Nick, what are you doing?"_ Judy shivered in the dark, feeling his warm breath on the back of her neck.

" _What's it look like? I'm helping you."_ He whispered back. " _Now, on three. One, two, three!"_ They managed to push the plywood to the side. Pulling her flashlight Judy stepped into the room above. Her flashlight revealed that there was two cinder blocks on the plywood(which would explain it's weight). she scanned the rest of the room and found it was bare, four foot by eight foot. It looked like a janitor's closet. There was a blue door to her left. She turned and approached it. Nick came up behind her as she pressed her ear to the door and listened. Signaling the all clear, Judy opened the door and stepped through with Nick close behind.

They were standing in a dark hallway with a slick linoleum floor. Judy's ears twitched as she heard a faint sound. She followed it down the hallway, Nick trailing behind. Soon they approached a door. It was slightly ajar, spilling a sliver of light into the hallway. Turning off her flashlight, Judy sidled up to the crack and took a peek inside. She saw four weasels in dirty black coveralls surrounding a mound of small white packages(probably the missing food rations, Judy thought). Two weasels were filling boxes with the small packages then handing them off to the other two. The other two would then tape them shut and stack them on a pallet.

Judy stepped back from the portal and motioned for Nick to look. After he did he looked back to Judy with a confident smile. The two of them could take four weasels, easy. They both took out their stun guns and prepared to breach. Nick heft his stun gun and hovered a paw over the door handle. Judy stood next to him and raised a paw. They took a deep, silent breath. Judy dropped her paw and Nick yanked the door open. The two stepped through the door in perfect unison.

"ZPD! Don't move!" Nick and Judy called in one voice. They both had their stun guns trained on the two weasels closest to them, which happened to be the two packing the boxes. The four weasels spun to face them. The two with stun guns in their faces froze, but the other two turned to another door in the back of the room.

"Coppers!/It's the fuzz!" They yelled, out of sync. The other door slammed open and eight more weasels spilled out, apparently having come from sorting ill-gotten gains in the next room. Nick and Judy stood where they were, but there were signs they were nervous. Nick's paws began to sweat and, even though she clamped down on the urge ferociously, Judy's nose twitched once or twice.

"You ready for this?" Nick asked, voice deadly serious.

"You know it." Judy's reply was stone cold. The ten weasels that didn't have stun guns trained on their faces paused in their advance. Were these two really going to fight them all? Nick nodded without taking his eyes from the weasel in front of him.

"Alright, on my signal. Ready?" The weasels took a collective step back. These cops were crazy!

"Go!" Nick and Judy, in perfect sync again, took two steps back and Nick slammed the door closed. The twelve weasels were stunned. Then they were panicked and angry.

"They gonna call backup!"

"We gotta stop 'em!"

"They're blockin' the exit!"

Nick and Judy had their backs to the door, bracing it. Nick had a _very_ self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Oh, man. Their faces! Ha!" Judy's face was serious as she used a GPS app on her phone to determine their location. The weasels had reached the door and were clamoring to get through. Judy grabbed her mic.

"Officer Francine! We need backup! We are on the block south of ERS! It looks like a closed industrial office. Please hurry!" It was getting harder to hold the door as the weasels became more frantic. Francine replied immediately.

"Copy that, Officer Hopps! ETA five minutes. Just hold on!" The weasels were getting organized. They rushed the door in unison and it nearly threw the pair off their feet. Nick and Judy stumbled and caught themselves, rushing back to hold the door, but it was too late. It swung open and they were swamped by a dozen angry weasels.

Nick was carried across the hall by their collective momentum and had the breath knocked out of him when he was slammed into the wall. It seemed like a hundred scratching claws were tearing at his face, but his training kicked in and he raised his arms like a boxer, protecting his face and throat. He started throwing punches, quick jabs designed to discourage rather than disable. This seemed to work as he suddenly had two or three less attackers. Then one of them clamped onto his wrist mid-punch and pulled. This wouldn't have mattered if there was one, but he had six of these mongrels on him. The rest poured into this hole in his defense and Nick was pulled off his feet.

From down the hall Judy saw her partner go down. She was having an easier time than Nick, as she had managed a powerful kick to one of the weasel's stomach and thrown him into a wall. He was down for the count, and the four others(one had run away already) were leary of getting too close. Not being swamped by all of them at once made it easier to keep them at bay. One leaned too close and Judy nearly caught him with a jab. Another on her left tried to rush her as she was distracted. Judy caught him with a powerful kick, but this left her open to a third weasel on her far right. He collided with her and they fell to the ground. She threw her elbow back and caught him in the neck. He rolled off her, coughing and gasping. The last two ran up and began kicking at her face and stomach. She curled up into a ball and waited. The one kicking at her head raised his leg for a stomp and Judy grabbed the ankle he was standing on with both paws and pulled it from underneath him. The other one went down with a simple sweep of her powerful leg. Then Judy' head snapped up when she heard something that chilled her to her core.

"I got his gun!" The weasels that had been swarming him suddenly backed off. Nick looked up from his place curled up on his side to realize he was looking into the barrel of his own police issue 9mm. "Heh. I guess this is the end for you, flatfoot." The weasel smiled cruelly and pulled the trigger. **BANG!**


	8. The Death of an Officer

Bang! The top of the weasel's head exploded in cloud of red. The others scrambled away in shock, all turning to flee down the hallway. As the corpse fell to the ground Nick numbly turned his head to look down the hallway. There he saw Judy on her knees, 9mm still raised and smoking in her double pawed grip. The weasels all found exits and were gone. Now it was just Nick, Judy and a rapidly cooling corpse.

They stayed that way for a full minute, Nick on his side staring at Judy and Judy staring at the space the weasel's head used to occupy.

Judy dropped her paws, still holding the pistol, into her lap. This small movement pulled Nick from his reverie. He slowly rose from the ground and stood to his full height. He started to walk towards Judy. He paused and looked down when he came to the corpse. His eyes shifted from the weasel's blank expression to the pistol still in its grip. Nick crouched and he reached out to grab the black 9mm. He paused as he spied something glinting in the light spilling from the open door. A bronze bullet casing, already spent. He stared at it for an instant, then looked away. His paw closed around the barrel and pushed the safety on. He pulled it from weasel's grip and holstered the weapon as he stood, stepping over the corpse and resuming his walk to Judy. When he finally reached her, Nick dropped to his knees in front of her. He reached out and gently took her pistol from her grip and placed it on the floor next to them. This action snapped Judy out of her trance and she looked at him in wonder, like she couldn't believe what was happening. Nick reached out and drew Judy into his arms. His voice came out soft and sad.

"I'm so sorry." Judy broke down at once, balling her paws in his shirt and weeping into his chest. This was how Francine found them a minute later. She came jogging up to them from down the hallway, flashlight held in her trunk. She slowed and lingered a few feet away, clearly uncomfortable. She had never seen the usually indomitable Judy Hopps so distressed before. Nick looked up at Francine and she gasped.

"Wilde! Your ear!" Nick looked confused.

"My ear?" Nick's ears twitched when he thought about them, sending a shock of pain from the top of his head, down his spine and out his tail, making the fur there stand on end. His paw automatically reached up and clamped on his right ear. Touching it made it hurt dramatically worse. "AH! Oh, criminy, that hurts!" Judy noticed his exclamation and looked up from where she had buried her face in his shirt. She gasped when she realized the fur on the right side of his head was matted with blood.

"Nick, you're hurt!" She stood from where she was kneeling in front of him, pushing his shoulders down to keep him kneeling. She gently pulled his paw away and leaned in close to inspect his wound as best she could through puffy eyes. There was almost a perfect circle an inch across carved out of his right ear, near the base, halfway between the center and outermost edge. It was rapidly oozing blood.

Judy reached for a pouch on her hip and pulled it open. Inside was a little spray bottle of disinfectant and a little square package of gauze. She pulled out the bottle and sprayed it on the wound. She ignored Nick's pained yelp as best she could and tore open the gauze. She unfolded it about half-way, so it was a long narrow strip, and wrapped it around his ear, covering both sides of the wound. Then she gently pressed down with both paws. Nick gasped and flinched, but he didn't move away from Judy. He actually looked up at Judy and smiled at her. Judy smiled back, softly.

When it seemed that the two were content to stay this way, Francine cleared her throat. Nick didn't budge, but Judy looked up at her, slightly confused.

"Maybe we should go outside?" Francine suggested. "I called an ambulance when I heard the racket over the radio. Should be here any second. The medics can fix up Wilde before they pick up…" Francine gave a long look at the body only a few yards away. "...That."

Judy winced at the mention of the corpse, but she nodded. She turned her gaze back to Nick. He smiled for her again and stood, moving his paw to keep pressure on his ear when he pulled out of Judy's reach. Judy retrieved her gun from the floor and Francine lead the two much smaller officers out to the parking lot, where two cruisers and an ambulance were parked. All of the bright flashing lights were nearly dazzling when compared to the dark building they had come from. An otter and raccoon in blue EMT uniforms carrying red satchels jogged up to the group. They had Nick and Judy sit on the curb. The raccoon began to work on Judy.

The otter, meanwhile, was inspecting the hole in Nick's ear. He reached into his satchel and retrieved a medical wipe. As he was cleaning the area around the wound and ignoring Nick's squirming with the dint of long practice he spoke to Nick.

"Officer Wilde? Nick Wilde?" Nick looked up at the otter, surprised he might know who he was.

"Uh, yes? That's me." The otter was done cleaning the wound and was applying thick gauze pads to the front and back of Nick's ear. The raccoon declared Judy fit and walked back to the ambulance.

"You don't know me, but my name is Harrison Otterton. Emmett Otterton is my brother. Harvey and Gretchen are my children." Nick was surprised to hear this, as was Judy, who was sitting only a few feet away. "I just wanted thank you." Harrison turned to Judy and smiled at her. "Both of you, for everything you've done for my family. If you ever need anything, please feel free to ask." Nick smiled, as did Judy. It was always really nice to meet someone grateful for their work. "Well, Officer Wilde, you're ready to go. Make sure to keep this ear clean. Have a safe evening." Nick called out before the otter could fully turn away.

"Mr. Otterton, if you don't mind me asking, why were the kids by themselves in town?" Judy perked up, also wanting to know the answer. Harrison turned back to them with a slightly pained expression.

"They were sightseeing with their mother. They were separated when my wife fell and was trampled in the evacuation." Nick winced and Judy covered her mouth with a paw.

"Is she alright?" Judy's concern was evident. Harrison tried to smile reassuringly, but it still came out hurt.

"She will be. She'll have to spend a few weeks off her feet and spend some time in physical therapy, but she'll make it. She's strong." Nick nodded to Harrison.

"Please give her our best wishes." Judy nodded her agreement. Harrison's smile became a little more genuine.

"I will. Good night." The otter turned and went to assist the raccoon EMT with lowering the gurney out of the ambulance, leaving Nick and Judy alone on the sidewalk. Nick glanced over at Judy. She was staring at the ground between her feet, face completely blank. He slid over until he was right next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side.

"I hope you realize you saved my life tonight. If it wasn't for you, I would be in a body bag. Right now. I wouldn't be able to hold you like this. Wouldn't have my whole life ahead of me. It would all just be… gone." Judy's face pulled into a grimace. She tried to explain.

"I know I saved you, Nick. But I…" Judy's face became tragic. "I still killed that weasel. I took his whole life away. Just like that. He's dead. Because I killed him!" Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks, making her fur wet. Nick nodded solemnly.

"That's true. But he decided to kill me first. You did what you had to do. It was necessary." Judy buried her face in his side. She fisted one paw in the back of his shirt and beat at his chest with the other.

"It shouldn't be necessary! I shouldn't have to kill him! What do I..? How can I…?" Judy trailed off as she began to bawl into the side of his chest. Her paws fell limp. Nick grabbed the one that landed in his lap and raised it to his lips. Seeing she was completely lost to the world he murmured his response into the fur on the back of her paw.

"You're right, Judy. It shouldn't be."

The two spent the night at the Emergency Ration Storage facility, in a break room that had been made into a makeshift barracks for police and volunteer guards. After what could only be called a restless night's sleep for Judy, the two had been summoned by Bogo back to HQ.

Now they were standing before Bogo's desk. Bogo was leaning forward, elbows on the desk, hooves pressed together. He was studying them intently. His eyes wandered from Judy's bloodshot eyes to Nick's swollen ear and scratched face.

"Are you two fit for duty?" Both of them pressed their heels together and stood ramrod straight.

"Yes, sir!" They answered in unison. Bogo observed in a detached sort of way that these two were probably the best in the unit at answering in stereo. He thought this as he watched them carefully for another few seconds. He took a deep breath and stood from his chair.

"Very well. I have an assignment for you. If you are not aware, electric fences have been raised around the perimeters of the quarantine zones. These fences are still being built and are vital to keeping citizens safe. Someone is sabotaging them. Now," Bogo walked to the map/bulletin board that took up one wall of his office. Animalia, the entertainment district, was completely colored red. There were several other places marked out as quarantined, the largest of which was centered in Downtown. Judy noticed that her apartment building was on the edge of that one. "Animalia was the easiest to quarantine, due to the bridges being the best access points. However, the most difficult is the one in Downtown. This is where the sabotage is happening. Several casualties, including the death of an officer, can be directly linked to the loss of the electric fences there. Go there, find whoever is doing this and stop them. Clawhauser has the details. Dismissed."

They both paused when Bogo called to Judy just before she could make it out the door.

"Officer Hopps, if I could have a moment?" Judy replied immediately.

"Of course, sir." Judy looked at Nick and gave him a quick nod. He nodded back and left Bogo's office. Judy walked back to Bogo's desk. She jumped into one of the armchairs when he motioned for her to do so. Bogo sat in his own chair and looked at Judy with a steady gaze.

"So, you had to make the hard call." Judy's ears fell, but she managed to hold Bogo's gaze.

"Yes, Chief, I did." Judy's reply was soft, yet firm. Bogo snorted softly.

"I want you to know I am sorry to hear that. I never wanted that for any of my officers. We have a counselor still on staff. If you want to, take a few hours to speak with her." Judy was constantly surprised by Chief Bogo. He acted so stern and cold that it was easy to forget that he cared greatly for every one of the animals under his command. Judy managed a small smile.

"Thanks Chief. After this case I'll be sure to stop by." Bogo nodded.

"Very good. Take care of yourself, Hopps." Judy nodded back and slid out the chair.

"Take care, Chief." She turned and left his office.

The pair grabbed some ration bars from the break room and were on their way to the quarantine zone in the over sized cruiser. For once Judy was grateful to not be driving, glad at the chance for a quick nap. She drifted off within a minute of Nick pulling away from HQ.

Judy came awake with a start. She glanced around and realized the cruiser was parked. Through the window she spied a chain link fence marked with warning signs running down the middle of a city street. She realized this must be the quarantine perimeter. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and exited the cruiser. She immediately spotted a gap in the fence, cordoned off by sandbags and roadblocks. There was a military jeep parked there, and three soldiers with automatic weapons were standing on guard. She noticed Nick was standing to one side of the checkpoint, talking with a fourth soldier. A small brown bear from the looks of it. Judy caught the end of their conversation as she approached.

"...So, someone who can bypass a military patrol. Sounds like trouble." Nick was saying. Seeing the bear's attention turn to something behind him, Nick turned as well. After he spotted her Nick held out a paw with a pen in it and waved at Judy. He turned back to the bear and introduced her as she joined them. "Corporal Paddins, please meet my partner, Judy Hopps. Officer Hopps, meet Corporal Roth Paddins, National Guard." The bear dipped his head.

"Ma'am." Judy nodded back.

"Corporal." Nick turned to Judy and explained.

"The corporal was just explaining that the fences weren't just sabotaged, but deliberately forced open to allow savage animals to pass. Even a couple of those super-freaks. Isn't that right, corporal?" Nick turned back to the bear in grey digital camo fatigues.

"Hm? Oh, yes, I was. We had to drive a few blocks down and contain about fifty afflicted animals. Took all day. Uh, I am not allowed to speak about the 'super-freaks', officer, not even to confirm if they were there." The bear clearly looked uncomfortable. "If you want to know more, I can contact my CO. She can tell you more of the details." Nick flipped his notebook closed and nodded to Paddins.

"Thank you, corporal. That would be much appreciated." The bear dipped its head and turned to return to his post, speaking into a radio he grabbed from his hip as he walked. Judy turned to Nick once she thought they had a little privacy.

"Nick, why didn't you wake me? We are supposed to be working on this together!" Nick responded coolly.

"We are working on this together. But I need you at your best. You needed sleep to be at your best, so I let you sleep." Judy's annoyance was showing on her face.

"I wasn't that tired. You should have woken me." Nick's face stayed relaxed, but one brow was arched as he gestured with one paw toward the quarantine zone.

"Carrots, do you know what's on the other side of that fence? Over five thousand savage animals. And dozens of those hairless freaks. If you think I'm going to let you near that fence without you being at your absolute best, you don't know me as well as you think." His voice had an edge to it that told Judy he wasn't going to accept any arguments. She crossed her arms and huffed.

"Fine. Well, I'm rested now. Fill me in." Her tone was agreeable, so Nick complied.

"Well, it all started the day before yesterday. Big section of the fence that was supposed to be electrified stopped receiving power. They sent a crew guarded by police to go fix it. Turns out to be a trap. A dozen savage animals are already there, waiting for them. That's how that cop Bogo mentioned died. They called the National Guard in to contain the savages and fix the fence. Then the next day the fence is not just down, but spread open, like Corporal Paddins said. That was all anyone knows at this post. We'll just have to talk to that CO Paddins mentioned and hope she is willing to share more details." Judy nodded along as she listened to Nick's explanation.

"Do we know if it was done from the inside or not? If it was the savages or if someone else was helping or directing them?" Nick shook his head.

"What I told you is all I have so far." Judy tsk'd. The two fell into companionable silence as they waited for the CO. Judy bit her lip and glanced over at Nick as something occurred to her.

"Nick, I never asked. Are you alright? Your ear… If that bullet was two inches lower, you would have died. Are you handling it okay?" Nick glanced back to Judy from where he had turned to study city beyond the fence.

"Who, me? Silly bunny. I told you, I don't let stuff like that get to me. As far as I'm concerned I got a stylish new piercing. That's all." Being called 'silly bunny' made Judy's eyebrows draw together in annoyance.

"You sure seemed like stuff got to you when we were at the hotel." Nick smiled at the reminder of the morning when he woke with Judy in his arms. It was becoming one of his favorite memories. Judy couldn't fathom why such a soft, genuinely happy smile would spread across Nick's face. But she knew it made her heart flutter.

"That's because you were a part of that 'stuff' and I find that when you are a part of something, Judy Hopps, anything is possible." The smile he directed at her shone. Judy turned away bashfully, looking at her toes and feeling her ears burn.

Corporal Paddins head tilted to the side from where he stood at his post. He couldn't hear what was said, but he could read their body language. Are those two flirting?

After ten minutes of Nick doing his best to make Judy flush, a military jeep drove up and parked next to the one already present. A wolf driver stayed in the jeep while a civet climbed down out of the passenger's seat. The civet made a beeline for Nick and Judy. Judy tried to suppress her embarrassment and look professional. Nick set himself into a cool and detached look, one he was very familiar with. He could tell this was going to be a hassle from the severe look on the civet's face. The diminutive creature looked like a cat with the face of a weasel and stood only a little taller than Judy (If you didn't count Judy's ears). The fur on her neck and head was grey, while her face was black. She had a thin band of white around a black nose.

"So, the locals think they can hassle my soldiers, huh!? Who told you you could speak to my men!?" Judy looked a little taken aback and Nick held back a grimace with the ease of long practice. "I told the local liaison that if they wanted to help they had better come through me, and now I find you out here snooping around without permission or supervision! Explain yourselves, NOW!" Judy was finding it hard to speak in the face of this unexpected hostility. Nick smiled and smoothly interjected on Judy's behalf.

"Excuse us, ma'am-,"

"That's Captain Viverra to you, fox!" The civet shouted over Nick's attempt at an explanation. His shoulder's tensed subtly but his easy going smile didn't waver.

"Of course, Captain Viverra. We were not made aware that we were supposed to contact you. We were only given a location and orders to investigate the sabotage of the perimeter fence. I am sorry if we overstepped any bounds or violated any protocols." His voice was light and amenable. Captain Viverra leaned back from where she had been violating Nick's personal space while he spoke. She gave an angry snort and eyed him with disdain.

"Typical. You foxes always think you can talk your way out of trouble. Well, let me tell you, you're not getting away with any of that smooth talkin' bunk with me! Why are you a cop, anyway? It's an insult to the uniform!" A truly outraged look appeared on Judy's face. She opened her mouth to give the disparaging civet a piece of her mind, but Nick's flat voiced response beat her to it.

"Oh, and I suppose a weasel faced walking inferiority-complex such as yourself is doing your uniform justice?" The civet blurred forward and Nick found himself on his back, looking up into a pair of burning brown eyes. He put up a paw to stop Judy from approaching to help. "Now stay there, Carrots. Don't do anything." Nick smiled up at the furious civet, whose paws were still balled in his uniform. "If you do anything, Captain Viverra here might talk her way out of trouble." The civet snorted in disgust at the superior smirk on Nick's face. She released his shirt and stepped back. Judy was immediately by Nick's side, helping him up.

"I'll send someone to walk you through the investigation. Wait here for them to arrive. Step out of line and I'll make you into meter maids for the rest of your natural lives." Viverra's voice was low, clear and dangerous. She stomped back to her jeep and climbed inside. It pulled out and disappeared down the street.

Nick dusted himself off while Judy gave him a once over. Once she was sure he was alright she called him out on what he had just done.

"Nick, that was stupid. Baiting a trained soldier. She might have really hurt you!" Nick directed a slightly disbelieving look Judy's way.

"Oh, and whatever you were going to say was going to be complimentary, was it?" Her first response died in her throat when she caught him looking at her like he knew better. She opened her mouth to try again.

"Well, no. But it wasn't as bad as what you said!" Nick nodded sagely.

"That's right. I needed her to lose her temper. If we just lightly insulted her all she would do is get back at us by impeding our investigation. If she laid hands on one of us, however…" Nick trailed off, wanting Judy to put it together for herself. She did not disappoint.

"...She would have to help us to avoid getting in trouble! Sly fox!" Nick preened, just a little, under her praise.

"I really am, aren't I?"


	9. Sedition and a Green Dress

As they were waiting for the liaison from Captain Viverra to arrive, Nick decided it was high time to do something to make Judy feel better. It seemed like the last week had been nothing but a series of disasters. When he thought about it, he realized that it had been. That first bombing, the elephant and Duke, then saving the otter pups, then _the_ _sloth,_ then being captured and experimented on because they _touched the sloth_ and finally the fiasco with the weasels. What he really wanted to do was take Judy in his arms and kiss away the pain. But, in front of witnesses from the military, that could damage her career. Nick would _never_ do anything to hurt Judy's career. He knew how important it was to her. He had seen the picture of the adorable little nine-year-old Judy Hobbs in her adorable little police costume with an adorably determined look on her adorable little face. That had been some _great_ teasing material.

Anyway, he wanted to make Judy feel better. But in a way that would be okay to do with witnesses. So, banter it was.

"Hey, I'm bored. Talk to me." Start simple. Judy looked over with both eyebrows up.

"What do you mean 'you're bored'? Didn't you just get in a fight with a Captain from the National Guard? If that's boring to you I would hate to see what you call exciting." Nick scoffed and pretended to buff his nails on his uniform.

"That wasn't a fight, that was a hustle. An easy one, too. I had her pegged the second she opened her big, angry mouth. No challenge at all." Judy rolled her eyes.

"Well, you tell me what would be a good challenge, Mr. Master Hustler." Nick grabbed his elbow with one paw and his chin with the other, seeming to think on the matter with great concentration.

"Hmm... Taking over the city as Mayor." He said simply. Judy eyes widened at his audacity.

"You couldn't do that! It's impossible!" Judy threw her arms to her sides to emphasize her point. Nick shook his head and a devilish smirk crossed his face.

"Ah, but my dear fuzzy officer, is this not the city where 'Anyone Can Be Anything'? All I would need would be an accomplice." He reached over and drew Judy into his side with one arm. Then he put his other arm out, paw gesturing grandly. "Now, just imagine for a moment that some awful thing happened to the city. Oh, for argument's sake, something to do with a blue powder. Let's just _pretend._ Now the public outcry is immense. How could something this awful happen _twice?_ The public must find someone to blame!" Nick drew his paw back into a fist and shook it. Nick glanced at Judy from the corner of his eye and saw she was getting drawn into his narrative. He smirked on the inside.

" Now, the new schmuck that got elected Mayor is sweating in his office, wondering what to do. He's thinking 'Oh, no, how could this happen in my first term? I'll be ruined!' When all of a sudden hero cop and solver of the _first_ crisis, Judy Hopps," Nick reached over and gave Judy's shoulder a little shake. "Comes in and offers a _solution._ " Judy was getting into this far more than she was willing to admit, even to herself. She made the obvious suggestion just to keep Nick moving.

"Let me guess. _You're_ my solution." Nick nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Of course! But not the way you might think. You suggest to the Mayor that whoever is in office when this crisis peaks will have their career destroyed. That's what happened with Lionfart and Smellweather." Nick nodded sagely.

"Lionheart and Bellweather." Judy corrected. Nick used the paw that wasn't around her shoulders to fan at the air, as though he was waving away her correction.

"Yeah, sure, them. So, you tell new Mayor Whats-his-name that what he needs is a _patsy._ And, wouldn't you know it? Your partner, the dashing Nicholas P. Wilde," Nick placed his paw on his chest, clearly indicating himself. "Has gotten a little too big for his britches. Been annoying you with how much recognition he thinks he deserves for his service to the city. Well, why not kill two birds with one stone? You convince the Mayor to step down and nominate me as his replacement. The idea being I go down in flames and he steps back in to save the day. That way I get to hold the bag for the disaster and he gets to look like the Mayor that saved the city." Judy intervened right there.

"Just because he nominates you doesn't mean you'll _actually_ become mayor." Nick glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, then forward, waving away her objection again.

"Then the city council brings me in using their emergency powers. But, here's the kicker. You were recording your conversations with Mayor Chump and, after _careful editing_ to make sure _you_ don't get implicated, we release the tape and get him dumped for fraud! Then, with my extraordinary wit, cunning and guile I shepard the city through the crisis. Beloved by all for my part in saving their city I get re-elected next term and become the legitimate Mayor of Zootopia!" Nick pulled away from Judy and posed with his paws on his hips. He smiled at her and waggled his eyebrows. She smiled back, indulgently.

"Oh? And what do I get out of this, Mayor Wilde?" Nick leaned in and covered the side his snout with a paw, as though telling a secret.

"I'll make you Police Chief. No, Commissioner! You can run the entire ZPD anyway you like. Make all your officers wear pretend rabbit ears if you want!" Nick put his arms behind his head, sticking straight up, miming Judy's ears. She had to admit the idea of some of the huge mammals in the department wearing rabbit ears was kind of funny. Then Judy was struck with the mental image of McHorn wearing his usual sullen expression under a pair of big pink rabbit ears and she was undone.

"PFFFFT-HAHAHA!" Judy leaned back, one paw on her hip and another over her mouth, eyes closed as she guffawed. She looked back at Nick who was frozen in his ridiculous 'miming a rabbit' pose and she started laughing harder. Nick was smiling like an idiot, glad to see Judy laugh again. After a few minutes she managed to get herself under control. She was still fighting back giggles when she turned back to face Nick.

"Oh, heh, oh Nick. Thank you. Hm! That was great. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that." She was smiling at him brightly. It made him warm inside. Feeling there was no reason he couldn't keep the good times going Nick tried again.

"What, is the idea of me wearing rabbit ears that funny?" Judy sensed an opportunity and struck.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was the 'extraordinary wit, cunning and guile' comment that made me laugh." Her smile became impish. Nick put his paw over his heart and exaggerated a hurt expression.

"Oh, to be cut down so cruelly. And by my partner, no less! What have I done to deserve this?" Nick leaned back and spoke into the sky dramatically, like he was in some shakespearian play. Judy had an answer prepared.

"I doubt we have time to answer that question fully, so do you want a summary or…?" Judy let the question hang in the air. Nick stood up straight and faked some annoyance.

"Hey! How _dare_ you. I will have you know I have dedicated my life to making the world a better place. You have any idea how weird it feels?! It still gives me the heebeegeebees sometimes." Nick faked a shudder. "And it's all thanks to _you_ , cottontail. If anything, _you_ owe _me_ an _apology._ So, go on. Apologize." Judy gave him a deadpan stare.

" _You_ want _me_ to _apologize_ to _you_ for making you into someone worthwhile?" Nick nodded, still faking a put upon air.

"Yes! How _dare_ you do that." Judy crossed her arms and turned up her nose.

"No. I won't." Nick turned up his nose also.

"Then tell me you love me." His fake scowl was breaking down.

"I love you." Judy couldn't maintain her indignant look. The two gave up any pretense of annoyance and smiled at each other.

"Getting better at those _reparties_ , Carrots. With you by my side my rise to Mayor is assured. Hey, want to be Vice-Mayor? I promise to let you share my office." Judy shook her head, still smiling.

"No way. I put too much effort into making you moral and decent. I am _not_ going to waste that effort by letting you be a _politician!_ "

* * *

Thirty minutes and a lot of teasing and jokes later a military jeep drove up, catching the duo's attention. The Jeep parked and an aardvark jumped out of the driver's seat. He was in the same grey digital combat fatigues as the rest of the National Guard personnel. He had two brown folders under his arm, one noticeably thicker than the other. As he walked up the two noticed he was just a little taller than Nick, was wearing thick rimmed glasses and was missing most of his left ear. He introduced himself as soon as he stood in front of them.

"Hello. My name is Staff Sergeant Howie Varkter. Please feel free to call me Sergeant or Howie. May I know your names?" His face was neutral, neither friendly or hostile, but Judy and Nick were both pleased to be speaking to someone so polite, especially after how unpleasant the last soldier they talked to was. Judy introduced the both of them.

"Nice to meet you, sergeant. My name is Officer Judy Hopps and this is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde. Are you ready to get on the case?" Judy smiled pleasantly, as did Nick.

"Yes, ma'am. I have some files for you to review. Would you like to retire to base?" Judy shook her head.

"No thank you, sergeant. If those are the files I wouldn't mind seeing them right here." Howie readily offered them the two brown folders from under his arm.

"Of course, ma'am." Judy accepted them with a nod and murmured thanks. She gave Nick the thinner file and began to peruse the thicker one. Judy realized right away that this file documented the second incident. The reason it was so large was because it contained incident reports from every soldier present in the operation to capture or eliminate all of the savage animals. Well over two-hundred soldiers. However, many had large sections blacked out. So, Viverra or some other official had already modified these reports. Judy tried to hold back her irritation. It made investigations more difficult if you didn't have all of the information!

Nick was studying his own report carefully. Only thirty animals total had been involved. It consisly stated that the thick cables powering the fence had been cut (as opposed to chewed or gnawed) and that the team of two technicians and four cops sent to repair them had been attacked by a dozen savage animals waiting in ambush. Everyone had been injured to some degree but the worst was a wolf police officer from the twelfth precinct that had been gored to death by a bull. They called for backup and twenty four soldiers arrived, extracted the civilian team and opened fire on the savage animals. Most were declared dead in the field and the last two died from complications in surgery.

Nick looked up from his report and noticed Judy was still reading hers. He turned to Howie and asked a few questions.

"Sergeant, it says the cables were cut with some kind of tool. Do we know what kind?" The aardvark shook his head.

"No, sir, we do not." Nick didn't let that slow him down.

"I assume when the fence was sabotaged the second time the cables were cut again. Do we know if it was the same tool?" Howie shook his head again.

"Sir, the cables were not cut in the second attack. The connection to the power grid was sabotaged, apparently with some kind of industrial strength acid." Howie corrected Nick. Nick hummed in thought.

"With such different methods for each attack, could we be looking at two different culprits?" Howie nodded.

"Yes, sir. That does seem likely." Nick nodded and pressed on.

"There was no surveillance included in my report, sergeant. Is there a reason for that?" Howie answered quickly.

"Sir, the first incident happened in an alley. There were no cameras. You will find that the second report states that the only camera with a pertinent view was disabled." Judy had been listening to their conversation.

"Hm. He's right." She spoke absently, still reading her report. Nick continued.

"Sergeant, do we have access to the local camera feeds at your base?" Howie looked a little uncomfortable.

"Well, yes, sir. We do. However, these recent attacks have put us on high alert. All terminals will be occupied. It could be hours before we have access." Nick tsk'd and shook his head.

"That won't do. We have access at the precinct. We can check the feeds there. If that's alright?" Nick didn't want a repeat of Captain Viverra's earlier outburst. Howie nodded.

"Yes, sir. That's fine, as long as I maintain custody of the files at all times."

* * *

Howie agreed to ride in the back of the squad car and accompany them to HQ. This let Judy finish reading her report on the way. Now Nick sat in front of a computer terminal in a small computer lab in the back of HQ with Judy and Howie standing behind him. Howie pointed out where the two incidents took place and Nick chose camera feeds near them. The three cameras nearest the first incident showed nothing suspicious, even going back three days. Now they were working on the cameras near the second incident, starting with the one that would have recorded everything if it hadn't been disabled. They were watching the feed in reverse and had nearly gone back three days when Judy spotted something.

"Wait! Go back...There!" They were looking at a small crowd of animals facing away from the camera, the largest being a buffalo. They were walking down the street in a group, a common occurrence due to the emergency still going on. Safety in numbers. However, Judy noticed something, or rather _someone_ , in the back of the group. Nick and Howie both glanced over at Judy as she continued to stare at the screen, brows furrowed in concentration. Howie spoke first.

"Officer Hopps?" Judy ignored the aardvark and leaned forward to reach the keyboard, actually pushing Nick a little to the side to do so. Nick just leaned over and let her do her thing. As Judy began to reverse the video feed again she finally spoke.

"I know her…" She murmured just loud enough for the other two to hear. The fox and the aardvark both looked to the screen as Judy played the feed. The two watched in interest as a group of eight animals, mostly prey animals sticking close to the burly bison in the center, began to walk down the street away from the camera. One animal lagged behind the rest by a small margin. Judy paused the video. Nick noticed why before Howie. He could now see the animal's profile. Whoever it was had just glanced at the camera over their shoulder. Nick realized he was looking at a fox. Even through the somewhat grainy camera feed it was easy to tell that she had a thick coat of white fur and was wearing a green dress.

Judy leaned back from the keyboard and grabbed her chin with a paw, staring intently at the fox on the screen and wondering where she knew her from. She perked up and pointed at the fox when she remembered.

"I saw her during the evacuation! Just before the blue powder bombing at the store. She was there, I'm sure of it!" Nick reached over to the keyboard again and used it to zoom in on the fox.

"Can this image be used to identify this person?" Howie asked. Nick shrugged and started the process to do so.

"Maybe. If anything we can just narrow down the list to a _few_ suspects, rather than _every arctic vixen in Zootopia."_ Judy tapped Nick's shoulder and he turned to look at her.

"We have have her at another known location. Maybe we can use the cameras there to get a clearer picture." Nick nodded and turned back to the terminal.

"Maybe. Although, didn't you say you saw her during the evacuation? We might not be able to see her through the crowd." Nick had found the correct camera and had input the date of the bombing. The feed started at midnight the night before. Nick started skipping forward. He stopped at one p.m. and upped the speed. The three of them watched as the evacuation began in fast forward and the street became a blur of color. Eventually there was a burst of blue. Nick stopped and began to carefully rewind the feed. He stopped and pointed at the screen. There, between the van Nick was standing on and the sedan he had jumped from was a white and green blur. He set the feed to play at regular speed and they saw the blur become a fox in a green dress as she got closer to the camera. Nick paused the feed when she was as close to the camera as she could get without going underneath it's field of view.

Right there was a straight on, if slightly grainy, shot of their suspect. Nick grabbed the image and added it to the facial recognition search that was already on-going. He leaned back and stretched. He glanced back at Howie over his shoulder.

"It usually takes about a half hour to finish these searches. There are some ration bars in the break room if you-!" Judy grabbed Nick's shoulder and interrupted.

"It's done!" She exclaimed excitedly. Nick turned back to the computer and saw that Judy was right. There was a mugshot of the same blue-eyed arctic fox staring back at him. Her name was written across the plaque she was holding. Ingannare 'Inga' Volpe. Nick reached out and tapped a key on the keyboard and her file opened. There was the usual rap sheet for a lowlife fox. Petty thefts and illegal sales, mostly. At the bottom of the list, however, were two much more serious charges. Theft of government regulated biomaterials and escape from a government holding facility. She was listed as 'Missing - Wanted' and had been for eighteen months.

"It _cannot_ be a coincidence that she was wanted for the theft of _biomaterials_ and showed up again during the worst _biological disaster_ in Zootopia's history." Judy said from behind Nick. Howie nodded, face serious.

"You're right, Officer Hopps. Please excuse me. I must report this to my superiors." Howie grabbed the two brown files from the edge of the computer desk and turned to hurry out of the small computer lab. The two watched him go. Then Nick turned back to the computer, pulled out his notepad and wrote down Inga's name and address. Judy watched him with some interest.

"What are you doing? Why don't you just print her file?" Nick flipped the notebook closed and stood.

"Why don't you do that? I recognize her address. I have some contacts in that area and I'm going to make a few calls." Nick turned to the door. He looked at Judy over his shoulder as he walked away. "I'll meet you in the lobby, my fuzzy detective!"


	10. Oh, Hell.

Judy and Howie were sitting in the quiet HQ lobby watching Nick through the clear double doors that served as the main entrance. He was standing just far enough to the side that he wouldn't be in the way if someone walked in or out. He had his cell tucked between his shoulder and head while his paws were occupied with writing in his notepad. After a few minutes of this he finally flipped the little book closed. He grabbed the phone off his shoulder and talked into it a few moments longer. He hung up, pocketed the phone and turned to go inside. He spotted the waiting rabbit and aardvark immediately and walked to them.

"Well, good news. My friends at the projects say that Ms. Volpe has been skulking around lately. They gave me her most likely hideout and say she is likely there. If we leave right now we might catch her. Let's go!" Judy jumped out of her chair and made to follow Nick as he turned to go.

"Excuse me, officers!" Nick and Judy stopped and turned to stare at Howie. He had stood from his chair, brown folders under his arm, but had not made to follow them. "This is a joint military/police investigation. I _must_ consult my superiors before we can proceed." He looked very serious as he said this.

"Sergeant, if we don't move _now_ we might lose our _only_ lead on finding whoever is behind these attacks." Nick argued. Howie remained unmoved.

"My orders are clear. I must report to my superiors." Nick looked irritated by this unexpected resistance from someone who so far had been nothing but helpful.

"Fine. You report to _your_ superiors. We'll report to _ours."_

* * *

Howie had left to find somewhere private to make his call while Judy and Nick made a beeline for Bogo's office. They explained what they found and what the sergeant was up to. Bogo called his military liaison immediately. For twenty minutes they watched as Bogo argued with whoever was on the other side, barely keeping himself from yelling. Now, two things were clear. The conversation was winding down and Bogo was furious.

"Yes, I understand." Bogo ground out between clenched teeth. "Thank you." It sounded like a curse. "Goodbye." He just barely kept himself from smashing his office phone as he ended the call. He placed his hooves on his desk and balled them into fists.

"Bad news I take it." Nick spoke up. It took some of his considerable self-control to not quail in his seat when Bogo's glare jumped from his desk to zero in on the fox.

"Yes. _Bad news_. They are going to storm the building in two hours." Irritation flashed across Nick's face.

"Sir. If a military vehicle gets within a mile of that place our suspect is _going_ to _disappear."_ Bogo snorted angrily.

"I know that, Wilde. I tried to explain to the brass that it was in the best interests of the city to have ZPD handle this, but they insisted that since this was an attack on a militarized zone that it was up to the military to handle this. Makes me wonder why they decided to ask for our help at all." Bogo stood from his chair and paced behind his desk.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Judy asked from her chair. She wanted to stop these attacks maybe more than anybody. Seeing all of the citizens too afraid to leave their homes was heartbreaking.

"No. Nothing. Not unless some anonymous citizens dropped the suspect at our doorstep." Bogo suddenly stopped his pacing. He turned to look Nick in the eye and something passed between them. Judy watched with some confusion as Nick nodded, face completely serious. Bogo suddenly returned to his seat.

"You two have done enough for the department today. Take some time off, go home, get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Judy was still confused, but she let Nick usher her out the door. Once they were outside the office Nick put his paw on Judy's back and quickly guided her to an out of the way corner near the back of the lobby. Once he was sure there were no eyes on them Nick leaned toward Judy until they were face to face. Nick started talking before Judy could freak.

"Carrots, do you have any civilian clothes?" Judy was completely unprepared for this question.

"What…?" Nick took her shoulders in his paws.

"This is important, Cottontail. Do you. Have. _Civilian._ Clothes." Judy sputtered angrily in response to Nick talking to her like she was a moron.

"Yes! Alright, yes. I do. I have some gym clothes in the locker room. Why? What happened between Bogo and you?" She had noticed the look they shared, but didn't know what it meant.

"I'm surprised at you, Carrots. I thought it was obvious. He told me I had to go get Volpe for the ZPD without letting the military know I was ever there." Judy stared at Nick with slack jawed surprised.

"Nick, you can't be serious. You could go to prison!" Judy objected fiercely. Nick leaned in until he was nearly nose to nose with Judy.

"Judy, you risk your life all of the time for this city. Your willingness to lay down your life for the sake of others is one of the traits I most admire." Judy was starting to feel hot, both from Nick's closeness and his sincere words. "Now, the city needs us to do something outside of the law to _uphold_ the law. You've done it before. I am asking you now. Do it again." Judy's face became serious, embarrassment forgotten. She nodded.

"Alright Nick. I'm with you." Nick smiled. He leaned in and surprised Judy with a quick peck on the lips.

"That's my brave bunny. Go get changed into those gym clothes. Do you have a way to cover your ears?" Judy had been stunned by the kiss, but she jerked back to awareness at the question.

"Um, yeah. I have a hoodie." Nick nodded.

"Good. Put that on. Meet me in the parking lot in ten minutes. Don't let the sergeant see you."

* * *

Judy made it to the parking lot exactly nine minutes and fifty seconds later. She spotted Nick leaning against the cruiser in gym clothes of his own. Baggy white track pants with two black stripes down the sides and a burnt orange pullover hoodie. Judy was wearing black leggings and a long grey t-shirt that hugged her body and reached halfway down her thighs. She was wearing a light purple zip up hoodie. Both had their hoods down. Nick got in the cruiser when he saw her approach and started the engine. Judy jumped into the passenger seat soon after.

Judy took a big breath and let it out slowly as they pulled out of the parking lot. She turned to Nick.

"So, what's the plan?" Nick kept his eyes on the road as he answered.

"We're going to meet with Finnick. He's going to drive us. We'll go in, capture Volpe, throw her in the van and drop her off in the parking lot where Clawhauser can see." Judy nodded her head. It was a solid plan. Then something occurred to her.

"Finnick wouldn't risk his van without something in return. What did you promise him?" Nick shrugged.

"I implied there was reward money for her capture." Nick smirked. "I may even have implied it was a _substantial_ reward." Judy frowned softly.

"Nick, you shouldn't hustle your friends." She chided. She was surprised when Nick frowned.

"I never told you this, but I met with Finnick after graduation. He made it clear he wasn't going to be friends with a cop. That was over a year ago." Judy felt a pang in her heart. She felt bad for Nick and she was a little upset with herself that she was so ignorant of his life outside of work. She reached over and touched his arm.

"I'm sorry, Nick." Nick waved it off.

"Don't worry about it. Our relationship was always about business anyway. Not much of a loss." Judy accepted his explanation, but she didn't feel better. She was sick of not knowing enough about Nick. It was time to change that.

"Nick, how did you meet Finnick?" That seemed like an innocent enough topic.

"Hm. Remember that fiasco with Mr. Big? Well, before we had our falling out he set me up as a manager of a store he owned in Little Rodentia called Chez Cheeze. Problem was the store already had a manager. Care to guess who it was, Carrots?" Judy gasped.

"You took his job? Really?" Nick smirked again.

"That's right. But he didn't mind as much as you might think. Oh, he threatened to break my legs, but he also said he could respect a fox getting ahead by cozying up to the boss. Well, since he respected a good hustle and I did sort of reduce his pay I cut him in on a few jobs I was doing for some extra cash. You should have seen his lost little boy bit. He could have had Bogo in tears." Nick was smiling now, recalling fond memories. Judy smiled as well.

"Then what happened?" Nick shrugged.

"The skunk butt rug happened. Mr. Big was so upset he actually closed the store. Finnick spotted me doing a scam afterwards and nearly blew the biggest payday I would have had all month. I promised him half if he helped. He agreed and we pulled it off beautifully. After, he asked if I was doing anything the next day. I was and from there we just sort of fell into a routine." Judy hummed, thinking.

"Do you… miss him?" Judy knew it would be difficult for Nick to answer, but she hoped he would. For her.

"Well, I guess I did, for a little awhile. We worked together for over five years." Nick shook his head. "That's over now, though. He made it clear. It was his job to fleece civilians and it was my job to protect them. We would have to compromise if we were going to stay friends. He wasn't going to compromise. Not for me, not for anybody. And that was that." Nick was frowning softly. Judy's sympathetic look was making him a little uncomfortable. Time to change the subject. He glanced over at Judy and took in her appearance. He looked back to the road.

"You look good in those clothes. Are those pants police regulation tight or do you just like to show off?" Judy looked affronted.

" _Nick!"_

* * *

They pulled into the parking lot of a little ice cream and cake shop called 'Prrrfectionaries'. Nick found Finnick's van and parked the cruiser next to it. Finnick was in the driver's seat with the window rolled down, wearing his favorite black and red bowling shirt and shades. He called out as soon as Nick and Judy opened their doors.

"Weeelll, if it isn't my favorite flat-footed fools. You ain't been around lately, Nick. Whats a matter, ya ain't got time for yo' fox friends no more?" Finnick's inexplicably deep and gravelly voice always surprised Judy. How did such a voice come out of such a little body?

Nick smiled and called back as he closed his door.

"You know how it is, Finnick. City wide emergencies can take up a lot of your time." Nick approached one of the van's rear doors and opened it. Finnick called over his shoulder as he watched Nick help Judy into the van.

"Uh-huh. Likely story. I think you just wanna spend all yo' spare time with hunny-bunny there. I can see why!" Finnick cackled when Judy flashed him a mortified look. Nick had closed the back door and walked around to let himself into the passenger seat. He smiled back at Judy and mouthed 'hunny-bunny' and she shot him a warning glare. Nick almost laughed at how cute she looked when she was mad. Nick turned back to Finnick as he started the van and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, did you get the stuff I asked for?" Finnick gave him a scornful look.

"'Course I got it. What, I look like a fox that can't deliver? Don't make me sick. It's all under yo' seat." Nick reached under his chair and immediately felt cloth. He pulled out a small black duffle bag and placed it in his lap. He opened it and found a roll of duct tape, two stun guns and two black bandannas. He zipped the duffle shut and placed it on the ground.

"How much do I owe you?" Nick asked.

"Fifteen hunnid, vulp." Nick was shocked.

"Fifteen!? That shouldn't be a dollar over seven!" Nick was outraged. Finnick didn't care.

"What's this look like to you, a charity? What part of 'the city's under attack', don't you get? Street prices for hardware like this are _nuts_. You gettin' the family discount, believe me! So stop yo' whinin' and pay up, or I letchu' out right here!" Nick knew Finnick was completely serious. He sighed and took out his wallet.

"I only brought a thousand. I didn't think it would be this much." Finnick didn't like that.

" _What!?_ Hmmm." He gave Nick a hard, searching look. "Fine. I know you good for it. Thousand now, five hunnid later. But you better _believe_ you owe me a favor!" Nick nodded.

"Trust me, Finnick. I believe it."

* * *

The van parked on the street a block away from the building Volpe was supposed to be hiding in. Nick gave Judy one of the stun guns and a bandanna. He also advised her to put her ears down, inside the back of her hoodie. She did so, despite the discomfort. Nick and Finnick went over Finnick's part of the plan one more time, then Nick and Judy put up their hoods, pocketed their gear and exited the van. Now they were walking leisurely down the street.

"No, speedy, we can't hurry. In neighborhoods like this strangers get noticed. But hurrying strangers get _really_ noticed." Nick had explained. He had grabbed her paw to calm her and now they were just walking down the street, paw-in-paw. Judy was sufficiently distracted from the mission to wonder ' _do we look like a couple?'._ She hoped they did. Trying to get her mind off romance and back on the mission, she spoke.

"Nick, what's the plan, again?" Not wanting to be overheard, she spoke softly, even though there were no other animals on the street just then. Nick, understanding she was nervous, indulged her need to talk.

"We go in. Get Volpe. In five minutes Finnick is going to bring the van around. We put Volpe in the back and drive her to HQ. We drop Finnick off with Volpe to get his reward. We drive off in the van so we don't get caught. Got it?" Judy nodded.

"Got it." After a moment Nick tugged her into a dilapidated building. Aggressive city renewal policies meant there were no slums in Zootopia, _per se._ But the city had it's share of older buildings that no one had gotten around to fixing up yet, as Judy well knew. This one was probably the worst she had yet seen. The wallpaper was greasier than Judy's building and visibly peeling or missing in some places. The carpet was threadbare and seemed to be worn completely away in high traffic areas.

Nick lead them to the stairs and was a little jealous that Judy didn't look even slightly out of breath when they made it to the seventh floor. He only had to pause to take a couple deep breaths himself, but still!

"Alright. She's on this floor, so gear up." They each tied a bandanna across their face and readied a stun gun. Nodding to each other, they stepped from the stairwell into the seventh floor hallway. Nick checked each room number as they passed, signaling Judy to stop when they stood in front of room 705. Nick flicked his ear, asking Judy silently to listen to the door. Carefully, she pulled her ears out from where the were tucked into her hoodie and made to listen to the door. However, just as she leaned in, the door swung open.

An arctic fox was revealed. She was just a little taller than Judy with one blue eye and one green. She was wearing dull black combat fatigues and she was holding a mug of what smelled like black coffee. Inga Volpe stood in the doorway smiling brightly at the two dumbfounded officers.

"Hi!" She exclaimed. Then she flung her coffee at Nick's face. He turned away, but it was his hood that saved his sight, the cloth catching the scalding liquid before it could damage his eyes. He still got plenty on his snout though.

"Gah!" Inga turned to smash her mug on Judy's face, but Judy managed to duck the blow. Inga, showing unusual speed and agility spun on her toes and took off into her apartment. Judy raised her stun gun, but Inga turned and flung her mug at Judy's head, forcing her to dodge and giving Inga just enough time to turn a corner. Judy turned to check on Nick, who was wiping the coffee off his snout with a paw.

"I'm fine! Get her!" Nick waved Judy into the apartment. She took off after the white fox and Nick followed after her, throwing his hood back to get the cloth soaked in hot coffee off his face. They ran to where Inga disappeared, discovering it to be a kitchen. White feet ran out of sight through an open window. Judy made it to the window first and discovered a fire escape. She jumped on to it and ran up the winding stairs with Nick a few steps behind her. Inga managed to keep either the steps or the platforms between her and them, never allowing Nick or Judy a clear shot with their stun guns. When Inga made it to the top landing she climbed the ladder there two rungs at a time to the roof.

When Judy made it to the top landing she flexed her powerful legs and jumped halfway up the ladder and from there jumped again to the roof's edge. She threw herself to the side when she saw Inga was waiting with a pistol in her grip. _Thwip!_ Judy felt more than saw or heard a dart go whizzing past her head. She landed on her side and had to throw a paw down to clutch the edge of the roof to keep herself from rolling off the ten story apartment building. When she raised her head she saw Inga had turned to flee again. Grunting in frustration Judy rolled to her feet to pursue the fox.

Nick was just coming over the edge of the roof. He watched as Judy sprinted after Inga and would have huffed if had the breath. Was he ever going to be able to keep up with Judy?

Judy raised her stun gun, but Inga evaded again, turning to run behind one of the myriad industrial sized air conditioners that were strewn across the roof. She dropped her arms to her side and poured on the speed to catch up. She skid to a halt and back pedaled when she spotted Inga once again waiting for her, dart-gunl up. _Thwip!_ The dart flew through the space Judy would have occupied if she hadn't taken cover.

Nick, finally catching up, ran to the other side of the air conditioner, planning to catch Inga in a pincer maneuver. He rushed from behind cover toward the white fox and brought his stun gun up and fired before she could draw a bead on him. She dropped to her back, rolled over her shoulders and pushed out with her paws to land on her feet in a perfect reverse somersault to dodge the electrified barbs. She turned to flee when she spotted Judy also running up, stun gun at the ready. Nick pulled the cartridge out of his gun and threw it to the roof in frustration as the duo ran after the wily fox. The stun gun would still work as a taser without the cartridge, but with the way things were going he didn't think he would ever get in range to use it that way.

Inga dodged behind a mass of wires and antennas to once again break line of sight with Judy's stun gun. Judy turned to follow her while Nick ran straight, running around the edge of the roof to cut off Inga's escape. Judy rolled behind cover when Inga spun around and fired another dart. Inga completed the spin and took off with most of her momentum intact while Judy had to play catch-up again.

Judy watched as Inga ran behind the shed like structure that was actually the stairwell access. Having learned something of Inga's tactics, Judy paused before rounding the corner. She darted her head out and back again, checking to see if Inga was waiting for her. She was a little surprised when no one was there. She cautiously jogged around the corner, eyes alert and ears ready. Just as she approached the other end of the wall she heard a very faint crunch from behind. Judy spun around and spotted Inga with her pistol up, apparently having run all the way around the stairwell to get the drop on her. Judy threw herself back and to the side to put the structure between them again. Just in-time, too, as a dart scrapped the corner where she had been standing.

Nick came around another large air conditioner and spotted Inga just after she had taken her shot. Her ear twitched in his direction and she spun to run the other way without looking at him. He grit his teeth and ran after her as fast as he could. He caught flashes of Judy running parallel to them between various structures and pieces of equipment.

They were coming to the end of the roof. Nick realized that the ladder they had taken to get on the roof was in this direction and figured that Inga wanted to take it back down to the fire escape.

Inga turned to go past that first air conditioner and was unprepared for when Judy crashed into her. The two nearly went down, but Judy's training kicked in. She managed to keep her feet and grabbed the arm holding the pistol, twisting it behind Inga's back. Inga dropped the pistol and caught it in her other paw, instantly pointing it at Judy and firing. Judy dove away, feeling a tug at her side. She brought her stun gun up and fired. Inga rolled forward to dodge. One of the barbs actually caught in her pant leg, but her thick fur kept it from making the contact needed to put her down. She landed on her feet and took off.

Nick noticed Judy kneeling on the ground as he raced after Inga and hoped she just had the wind knocked out of her. He then watched in confusion as Inga ran past the ladder that lead to the fire escape. What could she be up to? Did she want do another go-around on the roof? Then his eyes widened in alarm as the arctic fox seemed to run straight for the corner of the roof.

"Hey! Wait!" Inga brought the gun up and fired over her shoulder. Nick was pretty sure he felt the dart brush the fur on the side of his neck. Then he watched as Inga ran full tilt _right off the building._ Nick skid to a halt at the edge of the roof and watched as the white fox, arms and legs and tail sticking straight out, sailed down, down, _down._ She hit the road feet first and rolled once, twice, three times and _regained her feet._ She turned to up look up at the disbelieving officer. She gave a cheeky salute and turned, taking off into an alley across the street.

 _How could she have survived that?_ Nick asked himself. He would have continued to stand there and stare, but he turned away when he heard a his bunny shout. He ran back to Judy and was alarmed to see her writhing on the ground, eyes clenched shut with pain. She had a bloody dart clenched in her paw. Her eyes snapped open and Nick saw with dread that her pupils had shrunk to pinpricks. She got up on all fours and shrieked. He swallowed heavily. Judy Hopps was savage.

Nick could think of only one thing to say.

"Oh, _hell._ "


	11. Cold Carrot Loaf

Nick watched helplessly as his best friend and the woman he loved became a savage. Watched as she went from writhing in agony to to prowling in fury. Watched the defiant, vivacious, _beautiful_ spark in her eyes be replaced with _something else_. Something _dark._ Something _dangerous._ The Judy he adored was gone, and she had been replaced by a creature without reason, without pity and without remorse. Then the monster wearing Judy's body locked it's eyes on Nick.

Nick felt as though he died when the eyes he loved looked at him and were _empty._ Then Not-Judy bared her teeth and _exploded_ off the roof towards him. Six months of training and eighteen months of steady practice had Nick dodging to the side, but the grey blur still managed to clip him. He stumbled and fell, barely catching himself before he face planted in the gravel roof. He jumped forward and spun, trying to get an eye on the grey streak before she could hit him again. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw her scrambling to stop before she flew off the edge of the roof.

Not-Judy managed to stop just before the edge and spun to face Nick. Nick felt the taser still in his hand and a plan came to him. It would just need a little set up. Before he could think further Not-Judy cannon balled towards him again. Nick managed to successfully dodge this time, but he fell on his side. As he was scrambling to his feet he saw the grey blur from the corner of this eye and struck without thinking, slamming his left forearm into the savage rabbit's teeth.

With Not-Judy temporarily on her back, Nick managed to get to his feet and run to the air conditioner. He turned and placed his back to the big metal casing and held his taser out. By the time he was facing her the little beast had regained her feet and was prowling towards him on all fours. Nick wondered absently when she had lost her bandanna. Not-Judy zigzagged erratically towards Nick but he still managed to get his taser into her when she jumped at him. Her momentum carried her, still spasming, into Nick. He was slammed against the A/C unit and the taser fell from his paw.

Nick threw up his left arm to shield his face and a set of big, strong and well-cared for teeth sank into his forearm.

"AH!" Nick was on his back, head and neck pressed up against the base of the air conditioner. One arm was being mauled by an animal he would lay his life down for and his other arm was desperately feeling around for the taser. He tried to buck the vicious rabbit off but she held firm.

Driven by pain and desperation, Nick balled up his right paw and struck Not-Judy in the side of the head. She did not let go. He struck again. Her grip loosened. He struck again and she finally released his arm. Shoving the rabbit he loved off of him, Nick cast around for his taser. Finally catching sight of it a few feet to his right. He lunged for it, landing on his front and taking the black handle into his grip. He rolled onto his back and sat up just in time catch the savage bunny full in the chest. He was shoved onto his back, but he managed to touch the taser to her chin. Being in such close contact, they both felt the shocks, but Not-Judy felt it much worse.

Nick managed to shove the seizing rabbit off his chest. She tried to pull herself back to all fours but he pressed the taser to her neck. Nick didn't stop until he was sure she was unconscious.

Nick collapsed next to Judy's body, feeling completely worn out, mind, body and soul. He dropped the taser and reached out a trembling paw to check her pulse. He felt a strong, steady heartbeat. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the gravel, not even minding the discomfort, just glad for a moment to catch his breath. He gingerly lift his throbbing, bleeding forearm and cradled it to his chest. He lay like that for minute, gathering his strength.

Knowing they were on a time limit, Nick sat up sooner than he would have liked. He took the duct tape from his pocket and raised himself up to kneel by Judy. He managed to work through the pain in his left arm and pulled a length of tape from the roll. Nick spoke as he began.

"C'mon, partner. Let's get you out of here."

* * *

Judy was running through a field. It was sunny out. There was tall grass and flowers. At first she thought it was Bunny Burrow, but every arable piece of land there was farmed. She was also familiar with every flower that might be found there and she didn't recognize these. They were big and red with wide, long petals that tapered to points. They were tall, too. She could duck under therm as she ran and she giggled as the soft tips tickled her ears. She ran and laughed and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her fur.

She stopped in front of one the flowers and stood on her toes so she could press her face into it and took a deep breath. She couldn't describe the smell, but she smiled as it made her think of beautiful green eyes.

Judy's entire body jerked. She cast her eyes down and saw that she had sunken into the ground up to her ankles. Confusion became fear as she fell again into the ground up to her knees. Fear became panic as she was pulled down to her hips. She began grasping and pulling at the grass and dirt around her as she was pulled down even further. Soon she was encased up to her neck. As her head was slowly swallowed up she could do nothing but stare upwards. She saw the red flower she had touched. It was tilted down at an unnatural angle, toward Judy, as though it was watching her disappear. Then she was pulled under.

Judy fell through darkness for an instant or an eternity. She couldn't tell which.

She became aware that she was lying on cold, hard metal. She raised herself up on her arms and looked around, frightened. She was lying in a circle of light, beyond which she could see only darkness. But the darkness wasn't empty.

She gasped when she saw two green eyes looking at her from the gloom. They swayed slightly and grew larger as whatever owned them walked closer. Judy scrambled back in shock and fear when a red fox walked into the light. It's fur coat, once shiny and well kept, was matted and dirty and bleeding from many deep tears. It's eyes held madness and it prowled towards her on all fours, dripping blood as it went. It growled ferociously and bared its teeth. The fox lunged.

* * *

It was nearly nine in the evening and Nick was sitting in a chair next to a sleeping Judy's bed in a hospital recovery room when she suddenly sat up, screaming. He was next to her in an instant, but she frantically pulled away when he reached out to her. Now she was curled into a ball, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes. He stood there and looked at her helplessly. He reached out a paw when she suddenly closed her eyes and pressed her paws over her ears, like she was trying to block her hearing. She flinched when he touched her shoulder and he drew his paw back. Nick saw she was shaking and tried again. She didn't flinch when his paw gently gripped her shoulder. He leaned in when he realized she was mumbling something.

"... _so loud…"_ Was all he heard before a white sheep in blue scrubs came rushing in. She took in the readouts on Judy's heart monitor with a glance and she shooed Nick to the side. She gripped Judy's shoulder and gave it a little shake.

"Mrs. Hopps? Mrs. Hopps I need you to-!" The nurse was taken aback when Judy knocked her hoof away.

" _Stop! You're too loud! Too loud!_ " Judy's voice came out in a fierce, desperate whisper and she buried her face in her pillow, The nurse's eyes crinkled, then relaxed. She tried again.

" _Mrs. Hopps?"_ Her voice was much softer and quieter than before. " _Is your hearing bothering you?"_ Judy gave a shaky nod into the pillow. " _I understand. I'm going to get a doctor. Please, try to relax."_ The nurse stood and turned to a concerned Nick. "She needs quiet. If you must speak, whisper." She said lowly. Nick nodded and the nurse hurried out of the room.

Nick walked around the bed so that he was facing Judy's back. He gently laid a paw on her shoulder. He was glad when she didn't flinch. He began to gently stroke her arm. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look up at him. Nick smiled for her and Judy smiled shakily back. He leaned in so he could whisper.

" _Hey, there, sweetheart. You okay?"_ Judy's smile disappeared and she shook her head.

" _Nick, everything is so loud. Can't you hear it? The car horns and the woman screaming and everyone talking at once and...?"_ She sounded like she was starting to panic. Nick took the paw from her arm and stroked her face, shushing her.

" _Shh. Hey, it's alright, calm down. I'm here."_ Judy closed her eyes and leaned in to Nick's touch, nuzzling his paw. She looked back to his face and matched his soft smile with one of her own. She noticed a strap over his shoulder and her eyes followed it down to a sling holding his left arm. It was covered in bandages from wrist to elbow. Judy uncurled her body and sat up.

" _Nick, you're hurt! What happened?"_ Nick smiled and waved it off.

" _Oh, this? Just got in a little fight is all. Not a big deal."_ Judy was staring at his arm, feeling something tickling the edge of her mind, like a forgotten word or distant memory.

_**Hatekilltear** _ _bitethepredator_ **destroythethreat** _he'sonhisback_ **goforthethroat** _hisarm'sintheway_ **removeit!**

Judy put a paw to her mouth and tears gathered in her eyes as it all came rushing back. The fight with Inga Volpe on the roof, the dart, then a red haze where all she knew was alive and not alive, threat and not a threat and her desperate fear and hate of a red fox that had the potential in him to destroy her.

" _I did this."_ Nick perceived what happened as soon as she spoke. He deflated at the notion that he had failed again to protect Judy. It made him feel sick. He went to wrap his good arm around her, but Judy resisted, trying to push him away. Nick was persistent though and managed to pull her into his chest. She struggled briefly, but in the end Judy let herself be comforted by Nick's embrace. Nick laid his chin between her ears and squeezed her shoulders.

" _This was not your fault. You did not do this. Ingannare Volpe did this to you and I won't forgive her for as long as I live. I'll hunt her down to the ends of the earth. No one gets away with hurting my hunny-bunny!"_ Nick smiled as he felt Judy slap his side in warning. He moved to press his forehead to hers. They both looked deeply into each other's eyes, green on violet. Each tried to express themselves with their gaze, tried to impress on the other what they meant to and felt for them. They both had started to lean in when the door opened.

Nick raised his head and spied a handsome snow leopard in white scrubs and a doctor's lab coat walking towards them. Judy turned to look at the intruder over her shoulder, a tad annoyed at having their moment ruined. The doctor approached the end of her bed and grabbed the clipboard hanging there. After a quick glance he replaced it on the hook and came up on Judy's other side, opposite Nick.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Irving Bans. I'm told you have a problem dealing with sound?" The doctor's voice was soft and low, obviously trying to be quiet while still being understood clearly. The result was something above a whisper but below normal speech, like what one would use in an empty museum or church. Judy pulled reluctantly from Nick's embrace and leaned back on her pillow. Now that she was reminded of her condition it seemed to rush back to her, car horns and crying children and a thousand murmuring voices. She was a little more prepared for it this time and endured it with only a slightly pained face.

" _Yes."_ Judy started in a whisper, but then forced herself to speak louder. "Yes, it feels like every sound within a mile is being poured into my head." The leopard seemed intrigued and pulled an otoscope from one of his lab coat's pockets.

"If you don't mind, I would like to examine your ear canals." He paused, waiting for an answer. He leaned in when Judy nodded. She shivered when the cold tool pressed into her ear. Nick reached down and grabbed her paw in his. Without moving her head, Judy turned her eyes to Nick and they smiled at each other. The doctor moved to the next ear, studied it through the otoscope's lens for a few moments and then pulled back, placing the tool back in his pocket.

"There doesn't seem to be any obvious damage. However, I am not an otolaryngologist. We'll set up an appointment for you in the morning. Now, is there anything else? Headache, chest pain, stomach pain?" Judy heard her stomach growl and felt herself flush. To her, it seemed very, very loud. She placed the paw that wasn't in Nick's paw on her stomach.

"I'm starving. Could I get something to eat?" The leopard smiled indulgently.

"Of course. I'll make sure someone brings you something. Now, if you are sure that's all?" Seeing Judy nod, the leopard turned to Nick. "And you, Mr. Wilde, how's your arm? That was quite a few stitches you had. Feeling any unusual pain?" Nick felt Judy's paw clench his and spied her stricken look from the corner of his eye. His smile became strained and he briefly entertained the idea of slugging the doctor in his perfect leopard teeth.

"No, Dr. Bans. My arm is fine. _Thanks for asking._ " Sensing he had overstayed his welcome, the doctor nodded to them both and turned to hurry from the room. He closed the door on his way out.

Nick was still glaring at the door when he felt Judy tug at his paw. He looked down at her and his face softened when he saw how pained her face was.

"Stitches, Nick? You needed stitches? How many?" The hurt in her voice made his heart ache.

"Oh, Carrots, it's fine…" Nick trailed off when Judy stared up at him with pleading eyes, begging him to tell her the truth. He closed his eyes, took a breath, opened his eyes and looked Judy in the eye. "Twenty-three." Judy closed her eyes and looked away, shame all over her face. She pulled her paw from his grip and crossed her arms. Nick wasn't going to let her withdraw into herself, however. He sat on the bed next to her, pulling his left arm from his sling as he went. He put both paws on her cheeks and gently turned her head. She kept her eyes down and wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Look at me, Judy." Judy heard his soft plea and reluctantly matched Nick's gaze. The love she saw there only increased her guilt. "Stop that. I told you this was _not your fault."_ Nick saw that this wasn't making her feel better. Time for a different tactic.

"Why don't you just tell me what you want to say? Please, tell me." Judy was crying now, tears making her face wet.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. For hurting you. I'm sorry." Judy's voice was small and vulnerable. It made Nick angry, seeing her hurting so much. He wanted to deny her apology, tell her it wasn't necessary. Tell her she had nothing to say sorry for. But, Nick knew what he had to say.

"I forgive you, Judy. Now, please don't cry. It's not your best look." She smiled through her tears and hit his shoulder.

"For once could you take this seriously? We're supposed to be having a moment, here." Nick smiled and shook his head.

"Sorry, no can do. It's a defense mechanism of mine. Laugh or cry, right? Well, I'm pretty sure you cry enough for the both of us." Judy hit his shoulder again and made a sound caught between a laugh and a sob. She leaned forward and pressed her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. Both took comfort from the hug and were content to just stay that way for awhile.

A few minutes passed and Nick was pretty sure Judy had stopped crying. He spoke from where his head laid on hers.

"Hey, beautiful. What do you think the chances are someone is going to walk in if I try to kiss you again?." Judy shifted in Nick's arms, turning her head to the side so she could be heard. She hummed thoughtfully.

"I would say about ninety-five percent." Nick gave her a little squeeze.

"Would you care if someone did?" Judy smiled and shook her head.

"Call me beautiful again and I'll let you do whatever you want." Nick chuckled.

"Careful, my lovely bunny. I might just take you up on that." Judy groaned in irritation, confusing Nick.

"Someone's coming. Get up." Nick rolled his eyes and did so. A few seconds later a black wooled sheep orderly in green scrubs came in carrying a plastic tray. He put the tray on a little cart by the door and rolled it next to Judy's bed. She perked up when she saw what was on the tray

"Is that special carrot loaf?" The orderly nodded.

"Sure is. Enjoy your meal. Good night." The black sheep turned and left. Nick turned to go back to his bed.

"Here, I'll let you eat." Nick tried to cover his dejected tone, but Judy still heard it.

"Nick, come back." He turned around, eyebrows up and face slightly confused. When he stood next to her again Judy reached up with both arms, balled her paws in his shirt and dragged him down. Once his surprised face was in range she planted her lips on his and kissed him with all the love and passion she could muster. Nick responded in kind, pushing her back until she was pressed into her pillow. He was supporting his weight with his right arm and used his left to wrap around her slim waist and hoist her up until they were pressed together. It caused his arm some pain, but Nick didn't care. After a minute they separated just enough so they could breath.

"What about your special carrot loaf?" Nick asked as he stared deep into eyes the color of beautiful amethyst . Judy was just as lost in his rich, deep emeralds. Her answer came as she pulled him in again.

"It'll be fine cold."


	12. What's that Smell?

For fifteen minutes Judy and Nick expressed themselves with life-affirming kissing and pawing and witty declarations of love. Then that sheep nurse had come by to make sure Judy had eaten. She shooed Nick out of Judy's bed and firmly directed him to his own. The nurse then told Judy in a no-nonsense tone that she should eat. Judy did so, feeling like a scolded child. The nurse left after the first few bites. By the time Judy finished with her food Nick had fallen asleep. Judy didn't have the heart to wake him so she turned out the light and lay down to get some sleep herself.

That had been nearly three hours ago. Judy still wasn't asleep. She stared at the electric clock on the wall, but she didn't see it. Instead her focus was entirely on her hearing. It was amazing. She could hear everything going on in the hospital. She heard when an ambulance had driven up. Had heard the distinct shouts of the EMTs as they brought a middle aged badger in on a stretcher. She listened to them list symptoms and the doctors shouting diagnoses and treatments back. Apparently the badger had a heart attack. He was fine now though, with his heart monitor steadily beeping on the floor above and three rooms over.

She found another thread and followed it. Someone walked into the emergency room, wheezing in pain. He was noticed immediately and they rushed to him, asking what happened as they sat him in a wheelchair that needed to have it's axle greased. He was in his garage working on his car when he got his hoof caught in a pulley. The nurses tried to stop the bleeding while they wheeled him into x-ray. That thread hadn't resolved yet.

In this manner Judy had followed nearly two dozen stories across the hospital. She had also learned much about most of the animals in the hospital, from how the horse chef in the kitchen had to be reminded to wash his hooves to the entirely off color humor of the honey badger working the late shift in the morgue.

It was dizzying and exhilarating. She felt like a ghost drifting through the walls, going from animal to animal and silently watching what they were doing. Then she heard something that she didn't expect.

Judy sat up and really paid attention. Two large vehicles with large tread tires drove into the parking lot much faster than was safe. They came screeching to a halt. Many heavy metal doors opened. Two dozen booted feet hit the ground nearly simultaneously. A terrifyingly familiar, deep voice barked orders to capture the subjects alive.

Judy jumped from her bed without thinking and the heart monitor sensor clipped to her paw was pulled off. The loud piercing alarm the monitor put out when this happened took Judy like a blow to the head. She stumbled and barely caught herself on the rail around Nick's bed.

Nick sat up, looking around frantically when he was awakened by the sudden noise. He zeroed in on Judy hunched over by his bed almost immediately. He jumped down next to her and went to help her when she sprang up and grabbed his hospital gown. He was taken aback by how afraid she looked.

"Nick! They're coming! They're coming for us!" Judy's desperate declaration rattled Nick, but he knew how to keep cool in bad situations. He took Judy by the shoulders.

"Who's coming for us?" Judy's answer made his blood run cold.

"Colonel Biao!" The door opened. Nick released Judy and whirled around. He saw a startled nurse standing in the doorway. He turned around and took Judy by the paw, leading her to the closed window. He opened the latch and slid the panel up into the frame. They were on the second floor and below them was a little plot filled with shrubs, but a twenty foot drop into some bushes was preferable to what waited for them if they stayed. Nick helped Judy onto the sill and watched her jump down and land with superb grace between two bushes.

The nurse grabbed his shoulder and he turned and shoved her much harder than he intended, knocking her on her back. He froze, shocked at what he had just done. Then the situation he was in came back to him and he turned back to the window without a sound. He climbed the sill and jumped. His landing wasn't as graceful as Judy's. In fact, he stumbled and fell on his face.

"OOF!" Nick felt a nauseating jolt of pain from his injured forearm. He couldn't dwell on it though, because Judy drug him to his feet, grabbed his right paw and started running. He almost stumbled again, but he managed to keep his balance. They ran through the bushes, onto the sidewalk, across the street and into an alley. They didn't stop though, just kept running. When it became too dark in the alley for Judy to see she slowed down. Nick didn't and he became the one dragging her along.

They crossed a few blocks this way, careful to avoid cameras. They knew that the military probably had more access to them then the police did. They finally came to a stop in an empty alley that was barely illuminated enough for Judy to see by a nearby streetlight. While Nick caught his breath, Judy sat down and closed her eyes. Nick watched as her ears began to twitch. After a minute he couldn't wait anymore.

"How's it sound? We out of the woods, Whiskers?" Judy didn't seem to hear him at first, but after a moment she opened her eyes and looked at him, a relieved smile on her face.

"Yeah, Nick. Out of the woods." Nick sat next Judy, letting his breath out in a small whoosh.

"Whew! That's good. I'm just hoping it's not one of those frying pan/fire deals." Judy looked at him odd while he leaned back on his paws, letting his legs stretch out before him.

"What do you mean?" She brought her legs up and laid her cheek on her knees, head faced towards Nick while they spoke. He was caught off guard by how cute she looked, head cocked to the side, long ears akimbo.

"Er, you know. If this is a black ops thing the best we can do is go to Bogo. The more of a public light we can shine on it the harder it would be for them to move against us. However, and this is where it gets tricky, if it's _not_ a black ops thing and they have the full blessing of the government then going to _anyone_ we know will only tell them _exactly_ where to pick us up." Judy focused on Nick as he explained his thoughts on the matter, then looked away, face scrunching up as she tried to think of a solution. Failing that, she turned back to him.

"So, do we call Bogo and ask if he knows?" Nick nodded slowly, considering the idea.

"That may be the best way to go, Carrots. Even if they track the call, at least we could escape before they found us. But, if Bogo is being watched he might lead us into a trap." Judy's eyes widened at this suggestion.

"You think the Chief would betray us like that?" Nick raised a paw and tilted it side to side in the universal 'more or less' gesture.

"I mean, between that and treason…" Judy looked startled.

"Treason?" Nick glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Well, yeah. Who do you think is after us, the Cub Scouts? No, this is big government. Anyone in a position of power who denies them runs a real risk of treason charges. How else could they take _us_ against _our will_ and _we're_ the ones who can't talk about it?" Judy looked stumped. She opened her mouth, closed it, then buried her face in her knees.

"This is worse than I thought. And I thought it was already _pretty bad_." Nick smiled and gave Judy a pat on the shoulder.

"There, there, Fluff! Things could be worse." Judy raised her head and stared at Nick with frank disbelief.

"We are being pursued by an elite military unit that wants to capture us so we can be experimented on! We don't have money or even decent clothes and we can't trust any of our friends. How, Nick? How can it be worse?" Nick grabbed his chin and looked up thoughtfully, making a show of thinking it over.

"...It could start raining." Judy gave him a deadpan stare then raised her head to look at the sky. "Oh, it's not like I can summon a storm by saying that!" Nick snarked. Judy looked back to Nick.

"With our luck lately, I wouldn't be surprised if it did." Judy laid her cheek back on her knees, face solemn. Nick frowned, then smiled softly.

"Hey, c'mon Carrots. We'll make it through this. Just like all the other bad times." Nick tried to reassure her, but Judy's face didn't clear.

"It's never been this bad before, Nick. Even when we were trapped in that museum with Bellweather, we only had to beat _four sheep._ We were lucky she used the dart gun. Do you realize the rams could have beaten us to death? And if Bellweather had had them do that, she would have gotten away with the _whole thing. Now,_ we're up against the _National Guard._ Unlimited animals and resources. The more we resist, the worse it will get. How do we get out of this? What can we _do?_ " Nick hadn't _ever_ seen Judy so despondent. He laid a paw on her shoulder, trying to comfort her with that small touch. When she looked at him he gave her his best determined look.

"We can try. What did you tell me when I said there was no shame in admitting defeat?" Judy thought back to the day she had hustled Nick into helping her. When she had been almost too freaked out to go into the naturalist club. She smiled softly at the thought of those first two days, of that first great adventure with Nick at her side.

"I said, 'Yes, there is'." Nick was glad when Judy's troubled expression cleared. He felt more so when her expression became determined. She sat up straight and turned to him, all business. "Okay, Sly Fox! What's the plan?" Nick smiled and began.

"Well, I was thinking…"

* * *

"This is a _terrible_ plan!" Judy was trudging through hip deep water down in a pitch black tunnel. The smell made her eyes water and the only reason she could stand in the current was because she had a hold of Nick's tail.

"Well, next time _you_ can think of the plan, Dumb Bunny. At least this way, we won't get caught!" Nick had sold her on the idea of going to one of his lesser known contacts. Then he had proposed to use the various access tunnels below the city. Being first a criminal, then a cop had given him a better knowledge than almost anyone, except maybe a maintenance worker, of how Zootopia was laid out underground.

The fastest route required a shortcut through a branch of the sewer line. That was where they were now. Nick drudged through the filthy current, trying to ignore the pain of his tail being tugged on and was glad they only had to go another fifty feet. Then they could scramble up through a storm drain and be within a block of their destination.

After a few minutes Nick and Judy were back at street level. Nick had led Judy down a dark alley, then turned down another, so that they were completely out of view of the street. He brought them to a halt in front of a non-descript metal door. Nick raised his paw to knock, but paused. He closed his eyes and thought a moment, trying to be sure he remembered what to do. He opened his eyes, then knocked three times, hard and slow, then two rapid taps, a pause, then finally a single hard knock.

Nick took a step back when he heard a crash and a shout. Judy winced, as with her newly enhanced hearing she found that the animal on the other side knew some pretty choice expletives. The small alley seemed to flood with light when the door was slammed open with a loud bang, revealing a five foot tall wolf with honey gold fur wearing red shorts, a black t-shirt with an upside-down smiley face and a studded collar. Her ears, eyebrows and nose had at least three piercings each. She was also frowning ferociously.

"What!?" Judy flinched back from the volume of her voice. Nick was standing in his best relaxed stance, wearing a lazy, cocky smile.

"Hey there, Yala. Long time no see." Judy was still surprised by how _absolutely_ nonchalant Nick could be in the face of aggressive behavior. Yala, however, did not seem impressed.

"Well, if isn't Nick _Pissant_ Wilde. The _fuck_ are you doing here?" She crossed her arms and leaned against her doorframe, frown still present as she waited for his response. Nick didn't lose any of his composure in the least.

"I need to call in that favor you owe me, Yala." The wolf's eyebrows shot up and she dropped her paws to her hips.

" _Favor?!_ You fucksicle, you sold me out to that that gaping crank Orwitz! I'd thrash your fuzzy ass and toss you in the sewer with the rest of the shit, but it looks like someone already beat me to it!" She leaned into Nick's personal space and spewed her tirade straight to his face.

"I think we both know why that had to happen, Yala. You were getting too ambitious. You know what Mr. Big did to Orwitz. If I didn't knock you down first, he would have done the same to you." Nick's easy smile and suave voice didn't waver as he made his case. Yala resumed her spot leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. She snorted.

"Che. Doesn't mean I owe you _shit,_ cum-stain." Nick nodded sagely.

"Well then, how about I tell you a secret?" Yala's frown didn't go away, but the lift of a single brow showed she was interested. Fox's always had the best info.

"Yeah? In exchange for what?" Nick spread his arms, showing he had nothing to hide.

"Why, just a shower, a nap and you go pick up our stuff from Finnick." Judy was a bit unnerved when the golden wolf stuck out her tongue and gave her lips a long, slow lick.

"What's this fuckin' secret?" Nick's smile widened. He buffed his nails on his chest and looked down at them, feigning disinterest.

"Oh, nothing much." He glanced up at her from under his brows. "Just where Lorvo keeps his stash." Yala's reply startled Judy.

"Bullshit!" She shouted.

"No, no. It's true. It's in a maintenance closet in a little shop in the Rainforest District. I could give you the address _if_ you were willing to help me out." Nick's response was as cool and suave as ever.

"Fine. Give me the address and we'll see about getting you off the street." Yala's expression was still hostile, but her tone was more agreeable.

"How about the shower _first_ , then I give you the address, then the nap and delivery?" Nick countered her offer with his own. Yala rolled her eyes.

"Fine. You don't give me that address after the shower and I'll throw your ass out naked. You and your rodent!" It was the first time she had acknowledged Judy's existence. Nick's smile diminishing was the first time in the conversation he showed he was bothered by the wolf's words.

"Ok Yala. It's a deal. Now, about that shower?" Yala eyed their filthy hospital gowns with disgust.

"You're not comin' in _my place_ tracking that shit around. Wait out here a sec." She turned and disappeared inside. Judy heard her digging around and then the sound of running water. After a minute the wolf returned, one paw holding a plastic bucket filled with water, sponge floating on top and a small trashcan in the other. She leaned down and dropped both items in front of the door. Then she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. When the fox and rabbit didn't immediately act she waved her paw at the items.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" She demanded impatiently.

"Help. I need an adult." Nick's response was flat and toneless. Yala got the hint and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I need to make a call anyway." She disappeared inside again. Judy was startled when Nick immediately pulled his robe off and went for the sponge. She turned away from his naked body, feeling her ears warm up. She turned back to him when he shouted.

"Would have been nice if you used warm water, you know!" He yelled into the open door.

"You're not worth the nickel it costs to heat it, you vulpine piece of shit!" Was the reply. Nick heaved a sigh. Then he turned to Judy. She quickly turned her head away, ears burning.

"Hey, Dirty Fluff. You want to use the sponge first?"

* * *

After a tense and embarrassing (for Judy, anyway) sponge bath in the alley and taking turns in the shower the two were finally cleaned up. Nick wrote down the address he promised to Yala. She snatched the note from his paw and went to make a few calls, leaving the two sitting on a beat-up old couch in her small living room. Nick leaned back and stretched, then draped an arm over Judy's shoulder. She burrowed into his side and sighed, relieved to be feeling a little safe again. She glanced around the small apartment and one paw toyed with the hem of her borrowed sweatshirt.

"Nick, how do you know this wolf?" Judy was a little nervous she wouldn't like the answer. Nick hummed, but didn't move from where he had his head tilted back, eyes closed, obviously relaxing.

"Oh, let's just say she was a rival for Mr. Big's affections back in the day. He always rewarded two things. Loyalty and ability. There were a few of us back then. All trying to earn a seat at the big kid's table. I was a good earner, but how I really made it to the top was by exposing my rival's secrets." Judy waited for him to continue, but he seemed content to stop there.

"And Orwitz?" Judy was sure she wasn't going to like this. Nick shifted a little, getting more comfortable on the lumpy cushions.

"Yala's main competitor. Big, mean ram. When I found out Yala was skimming, instead of telling Mr. Big, I let Orwitz know. He blackmailed her. Ran her right out of Tundratown. Then I exposed Yala's crimes to Mr. Big as Orwitz' doing. Took out two mammals with one move." Nick sounded nonchalantly smug, like what he did was no big deal for a guy like him. Judy was starting to feel a little dread.

"What happened to him?" Nick finally lifted his head and looked at her. He raised the paw off her shoulder and gently stroked one of Judy's long, fuzzy ears.

"I think you know what happens to animals that cross Mr. Big, Cottontail." Judy felt a little sick. Nick got someone killed? On purpose?

"How could you do that? Get someone in trouble with Mr. Big, knowing what would happen?" Nick's expression hardened.

"Don't feel bad for Orwitz, Carrots. We all made money different ways. I hustled. Yala sold drugs. Orwitz was in the flesh trade." Judy's eyes widened.

"The flesh trade? What do you mean?" Nick closed his eyes and leaned his head back again. Far from looking relaxed, his lips were curled in disgust.

"He sold sheep and other animals for pleasure and food. That's what I mean. He was a scumbag of the highest order. I was doing everyone a favor when I got him iced." Judy was shocked. She had been told that Mr. Big was a crime boss, but she never realized what that really meant. If animals like these were Nick's colleagues under his command, what other terrible things was the arctic shrew responsible for? Nick's face relaxed and he waved her worry aside.

"Hey, don't worry about it. That was _years_ ago. It's in the past. Let's leave it there." Nick lifted his head again and locked eyes with Judy. She swallowed and did her best to put her conflicting emotions to the side. She finally gave Nick a solid nod. He nodded back and spoke.

"Time to look to the future."


	13. Pie and Company

Nick and Judy were still planning out what they were going to do about their situation when Yala came back from making her calls. She threw herself onto a shabby loveseat, draping her legs over the armrest. She turned her head and glared at them. Judy was beginning to think that was just how her face always looked.

"Well, lucky fucking you. The address checked out. So, what do you want?" She wasn't yelling, _per se_ , but you definitely wouldn't be able to say she mumbled. Nick assumed the simultaneously easy going and cocky smile that he always had on when talking to someone that wasn't close to him.

"Just like I said. I need a place to crash and I need you to get our stuff from Finnick. If you could spare us some food, that would be nice. That's all." The short, honey colored wolf huffed.

"Fine. You can have the couch. You fuck on it and it'll be the last fuck you ever fuck, you hear me!?" Judy had never been so mortified in her entire life. She buried her head head in Nick's chest just so no one could see her face. It was not a playful punch she landed in his stomach when she heard him chuckling.

"Oof! Alright, Yala I hear you. Your couch, such as it is, shall remain pure." Nick grabbed Judy's paw just to make sure she didn't hit him again. Once was enough, thank you! For the first time in their encounter thus far, Yala mouth shifted into something other than a frown. Instead, it was a nasty smirk.

"Too late for that. Think about _that_ while you sleep." Judy would have jumped up if Nick's arm hadn't been around her shoulders. Yala's smirk (you couldn't call what she did a smile) widened as she watched the brief struggle. After a moment it ended and so did her smirk. Her lips twisted into the familiar frown as she stood from the love seat. She spoke as she walked from the room.

"I'll get your shit in a few hours. I'm going to sleep until then. Keep quiet, fuckers!" She disappeared through a door and slammed it behind her. Nick sighed, feeling the tense Judy next to him.

"Don't let her get to you. She was just teasing. I'll get the light, then we need to get some sleep. If you really can't stand to sleep on the couch, you can take the loveseat."

* * *

It was approaching evening the next day when Nick and Judy left Yala's apartment, still wearing the clothes they borrowed from her. She said they could keep them as long as they never came back. Their plan, such as it was, was to discover how badly the government wanted them. The best method they had worked out to do so was to get in contact with Bogo. To do that unseen by possible agents was the tricky part. They didn't know where he lived, but they knew he took public transportation. The city buses and trains were running again, though at reduced capacity and increased security. Their best chance to get to Bogo was while he was on the bus home.

Bogo was dedicated to his job. The burly cape buffalo worked long hours more often than not and was often in the office after one a.m. When Nick and Judy settled in to watch for him to leave HQ at six p.m they knew full well that it was probably going to be a long wait. Judy convinced Nick to let her use her enhanced hearing to track Bogo so they could remain out of sight while they waited.

A few hours later and Nick was pretty sure he was hallucinating from boredom. The featureless concrete wall he had been staring at for the last forty five minutes seemed to change spontaneously, little blotches of color springing into existence just long enough for his eyes to register then disappearing before his brain could identify the shape or color of the little aberrations. After the fifth time this happened he turned away from the wall, afraid he would make a game out of watching the spots and fall into true madness.

Nick turned his gaze onto Judy instead. She sat on the ground with legs crossed, back straight, paws in her lap and eyes closed. She was perfectly still except the slow rise and fall of her chest and the occasional twitch in her ears. If Nick didn't know better, he would say Judy was meditating. When he asked her what it was like, to be able to hear everything, she told him it was like being a ghost. Floating through walls and spying on people.

Nick wished he could join her, rather than sitting here watching her body while they sat hidden in some bushes across the street from the 1st Precinct HQ. He had been on boring assignments before, but this took it to another level. There wasn't even a radio!

It wouldn't be so bad if he could talk to Judy or even just run a paw through her fur or something, but this... _power_ of hers was so new that she needed all of her concentration to maintain it. If he so much as brushed against the fur on her arm it would pull her out of her… What? Hearing trance? Listening lookout? Judy had described it like being a ghost. Ghost Mode? Yeah. That was good. Ghost Mode it was. Now he was naming superpowers. He was _bored._ Nick ran a paw through the fur on his head and sighed. Keep it together, Wilde!

"Bogo's about to leave." Nick's head snapped up at the sound of Judy's voice. Oh thank _Gawd,_ this awful boredom was over.

"Can you tell where he's headed?" Nick's voice came out more eager than he intended. Judy smiled and stood, then took a moment to stretch. She was a little sore after sitting still for so long. Nick stood as well, smiling at her expectantly.

"Looks like he's headed north. He convinced himself earlier he was going to stop by a place called Alice's on the way home. Too bad we don't have our phones. If we could have looked it up, we could've beaten him there." They had to leave their phones behind, knowing they could be tracked. Nick's smile widened.

"Maybe we don't need to. I know an Alice's north of here. If it's the same place, then the Chief has good taste. Come on!" NIck grabbed Judy's paw in his own and lead her down the dark alleys and back streets. It had grown dark as they waited, so Nick's night vision was necessary. Not that Judy needed any excuse to hold his paw. After slinking past street camera's as fast as they could for two blocks they came upon a store Judy had never seen before. A small pink neon sign proudly declared the establishment as 'Alice's Feel Good Bakery'. They hurried inside.

The interior looked something like a cross between a restaurant and a bakery. There was a large counter with dozens of cakes and pies on display. While there was only four booths, they were of a much higher quality than the rickety chairs and tables found at most donut stores. The walls and booths were all a warm, woody shade of brown.

Nick lead Judy to a booth. The booths were the more common larger variety, which meant the fox and rabbit had to pull themselves up onto the seats. Nick chose to sit next to Judy, rather than across the table. Nick was just tall enough to be able to sit and still see over the table, while Judy had to kneel. They were quickly approached by a zebra in a red waitress uniform. After a lingering glance at the shady looking fox (the clothes they borrowed from Yala were shabby at best) she asked them what they'd like to drink. Knowing funds were tight, they both asked for water. Nick ordered a slice of rhubarb pie to share. The zebra took the order and left. Nick turned to Judy who had already closed her eyes.

"Is Bogo almost here?" Judy reached over and took one of his paws in her own, silently asking for quiet. After a few seconds she opened her eyes.

"I can hear him humming. He's right up the street. He'll be here in thirty seconds." Nick's smile was a little too big, confusing Judy for a moment.

"What's he humming? I bet it's that Gazelle song. 'Try Everything', right?" Clawhauser was too much of a gossip to hold in the fact he walked in on Bogo using the Dance with Gazelle app on his phone. Judy paused, trying to find the right way to deny it. Nick picked up on her hesitation immediately. "He is! Ha! That's _adorable._ Hey, think he'd mind if asked him out to karaoke? I bet he'd be pretty good!" Nick was almost giddy with the thought of two-thousand pound Police Chief Bogo up on stage, microphone in hoof, giving his all for the song. Judy, who had nothing but respect for the Chief, in spite of their rocky start, was a little miffed Nick was poking fun at him. She released his paw and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Would you focus? Bogo's coming in." The door opened a second later. The back of the booth shielded them from Bogo's gaze as he walked in. As Bogo was walking to the counter, intending to get his order to go, his ear twitched when he heard something.

"Pst! Hey, Chief! Over here." Bogo turned around and spied the duo in the booth. He paused and stared at them, gaze stony. Then he moved towards them, taking the spot across from them. The table actually slid over to make room for his enormous bulk, crowding Nick and Judy a tad. He crossed his arms over the table and leaned towards them.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" His voice was low, even, and deadly serious. "Some tiger in black comes in to inform me that my department's new number one priority is to hunt down two of my own officers. He has the full backing of the government and I am forced to relinquish everything I have on you _both._ Your address, your history, every known associate, _everything._ Tell me now. _What happened?"_ His voice was low the entire time, but his tone demanded their compliance. They were interrupted by the waitress walking up with Nick and Judy's order. She spoke to Bogo as she set out their water and the slice of pie.

"Hey Charlie, how are ya? Been awhile. The usual right? You want it to go or do you want to eat with your friends here?" Bogo's expression warmed as he turned to the zebra.

"I've been fine, Jenny. I think I will have my usual to go. Can't stay long." The zebra smiled, nodded and turned to go. Nick turned to Bogo.

"Your first name is _Charlie?"_ His voice was amused. Bogo's face lost all the warmth it had when talking with the waitress.

"That's _Chief Bogo_ to you, Wilde _._ _Now tell me what happened._ " The duo explained what happened the best they could. From meeting with Finnick, to contact with Inga Volpe, the fight on the roof, discovering Judy's gift in the hospital, fleeing Colonel Biao, and finally to how they tracked Bogo to the diner. Bogo sat and listened, paying attention to every word said. When it was over he sat silently, contemplating. After a minute he spoke.

"Can you prove this ability you speak of?" Judy nodded.

"Yes, sir. I've been tracking you since six p.m. You had several officers report to you in your office. Officer Higgins made a terrible pun about being a 'hippo'crit. You laughed after he left the office." Bogo's brows raised in surprise. He did remember that. He only laughed at the pun when he was sure he was alone.

"Hm. Very well. You believe you are being pursued because of this ability?" Bogo wasn't entirely convinced, but he put that aside to pursue why the government wanted his officers. Judy nodded.

"Yes, sir. When we went through the 'decontamination protocol' we were actually taken against our will to a government testing facility and experimented on. They told us we had been exposed to a mutagen due to our contact with the sloth." Bogo raised a hoof and Judy paused.

"Why didn't you tell me this when you were released?" There was no accusation in his tone, just the need to know.

"Sir, we signed nondisclosure agreements. It was also implied we would be killed if we told anyone." Bogo's expression hardened.

"Of course. Please continue." Judy glanced at Nick. Nick looked back and nodded. She turned back to Bogo.

"Sir, it is our belief that this mutagen had an effect on me. That it gave me this ability. The government only released us before because there was no effect. Now that's changed and they want us back." Bogo lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking deeply. He finally looked up.

"I'm not going to let some government fanatic snatch my officers." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen and notebook. He filled one of the small pages with notes while Nick and Judy watched quietly. He finally placed the pen down and tore out the page, handing it to Judy. "This is the address and directions for a safe house nearby. Completely off the books. Stay there and lay low until I contact you. I'll try to get you cleared, but failing that I'll try to get you out of Zootopia. I have to go." As he made to exit the booth, he spied the untouched slice of pie. "Don't let that go to waste. The pie here is very good." He stood and went to the counter, got his order and left the store without so much as another glance in their direction.

Nick elbowed Judy to get her to look up from where she was staring at the note Bogo left them. When she did he offered her a fork.

"Bogo's right you know. The pie is to die for. Have some and we'll go."

* * *

The safehouse turned out to be a third floor apartment only two blocks from the Downtown Quarantine Zone. The proximity to so many military patrols made them nervous, but they weren't about to turn down Bogo's help. When they got in they found a bland one-bedroom apartment. The fridge only had bottled water and the cabinets were filled with dry and canned goods. Nothing that would take less than a year to spoil. Nick spied an electric clock and noted it was nearly three a.m.

Judy wandered into the apartment while Nick made a beeline for the couch. It was an ugly brownish color, but it was comfortable. He sank into it with a sigh. Walking through town without being seen by cameras was _exhausting_. After a minute Judy sat next to him.

"What do you think? Is it home?" Nick smiled as he asked. Judy glanced around again.

"I'm actually a little jealous. This place is three times bigger than my apartment. It has a kitchenette and a _bathroom._ I don't mind sharing, but sometimes it really sucks having to wait in line." Judy sat back and leaned against Nick. He shifted and placed his arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side.

"Hey, Carrots. I just want to let you know that out of everyone I could have had this crazy, messed up adventure with, I'm glad it's you. You're my _favorite_." Judy smiled from her place burrowed into his side.

"Dumb Fox. Don't you know? _This bunny_ is the only one you are allowed to have adventures with." Nick adopted his sly look, shifting to make eye contact with Judy.

"Do I know that?" He leaned in and gave her a soft, lingering kiss. When the two parted they stared deeply into each other's eyes. Amethysts and Emeralds. Nick spoke as they leaned in again.

"Yes, I do."

* * *

Inga Volpe was currently standing in an elevator wearing her favorite green dress. She had a green folder under one arm and she was impatiently tapping her foot, sick of waiting in the prison cell like box. At least she thought it seemed like a cell. Their was a chime and the elevator smoothly halted. The doors were not even open all of the way before she was through them.

She glanced around as she walked, taking in her environment. Everything was a sterile white. Every square foot of the walls were covered in cabinets and refrigerators filled with a dizzying array of dangerous chemicals, biological samples and other, harder to identify substances. She came to tall door and held up a key card she pulled from the file. A hidden camera zoomed in on the visual marker, recorded it, and verified it in a nano second. The door slid into the wall without a sound.

There were no cabinets in the room beyond. Instead the walls were lined with panes of glass. Each panel looked into a cell containing abominations similar to, but not identical to the one Nick and Judy killed. She glanced into them interestedly as she walked. She smiled as one of them rushed the glass. It simply bounced off the unbreakable pane and landed in a heap. She looked ahead and spotted her target. A seven foot tall, rail thin animal in a lab coat was standing in front of one of the windows, silently observing the creature within. The animal was completely wrapped in bandages, hiding his face and species. The only features that could be seen were his eyes. The pupils, iris and sclera were all a blood red. He turned to look down at the much shorter Inga as she approached.

"Pet! It _is_ you. I thought I smelled that perfume I got you." Despite his fiery eyes, his voice was actually quite friendly. Inga walked right up to him and punched him in the shin.

"I _told you_ not to call me that!" She took a step away and crossed her arms, pouting. The bandage wrapped animal gave no indication he felt her punch.

"Now, now, why ever not? You don't want to be my pet? And after all the gifts I gave you." Inga raised a paw and traced it around her green right eye. She sighed.

"Listen, I'm grateful for what you did for me. But, I don't want to be a pet! It's embarrassing…" She trailed off, looking at the ground. The red eyed animal nodded in understanding.

"Well, I still think you're my Pet. I promise not to call you such in front of others. Now, why don't you tell me about that file you have?" Inga rolled her mismatched eyes, but didn't argue further. That promise was the best she was going to get and she knew it. She pulled the folder from under her arm and held it up with both paws.

"Someone tested positive for your retro-viral muta-whatever at the hospital." The mystery mammal bent down to grab the folder with a bandaged paw that had long, thin digits. He stood up straight and opened the folder, perusing the contents. He hummed.

"When was this?" He scratched absently at his neck. When there wasn't an answer he looked from the folder to where the arctic fox had stood, only she wasn't there. He glanced around and spotted her standing next to a nearby panel, looking at what was inside with an expression of awe. He walked up behind her and took a look himself.

"What's _this one_?" Her voice was almost reverent.

"I thought you might like this one. It's a _thylacine._ " The creature resembled a dog and at first glance was no more horrible than any of the other experiments in the room. However, when it opened it's mouth a nightmarish maw was revealed, too long and too narrow to belong to any other mammal. It was eating the carcass of a deer and the two rows of razor sharp teeth set close together were sheering off limbs like a chainsaw.

"Can I have this one? Please? I'll be your pet." Inga was looking up at her benefactor, begging like a child would for a new toy. The red eyed villain smiled benevolently.

"Of course, Pet. It will be a reward for you. Once you bring me this.." He checked the name in the file.

"Judy Hopps."


	14. Close to Home

Two days had passed since Nick and Judy had settled into the safe house and Bogo still had not contacted them. Nick was handling the wait better than Judy, but both were getting a little stir crazy. In an effort to to calm an anxious Judy, Nick had fished out a board game he found in the otherwise empty bedroom closet. They were in the midst of an argument over the unfamiliar rules when the phone rang. Judy was there before it could ring a second time.

"Hello?" Nick ambled over and leaned against the counter near Judy He watched her face intently, knowing it would give away if the call was good or bad news. He was concerned when Judy put a paw over her mouth, eyes wide. "What do you mean?" Judy's voice was horrified. Nick's concern became alarm when tears began gathering in her eyes. "Where are they?" The tears began to fall, wetting her cheeks. Nick moved towards Judy, but she took a step back and raised a paw. "How did this happen!?" She was on the verge of hysterics. She listened to the phone for another minute before angrily slamming it onto the base. She stormed away from the phone towards the door that exited the apartment. Nick caught up to her and grabbed her shoulder just before she could grab the handle.

"Judy! Calm down. What happened? What did Bogo say?" Judy spun around and angrily knocked the paw from her shoulder.

"My family's been attacked! I have to go help them!" She turned back to the door, but Nick wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her tight. She began to struggle violently and the two toppled to the floor.

"You have to calm down! You can't help them like this. You won't make it a hundred feet from the door before the military nabs you if you go off half-cocked!" Nick was trying to keep his voice down, knowing how sensitive Judy's hearing was now, but it was difficult to maintain a low level during a struggle. Judy paused.

"What do I do? I can't stay here! I have to do something!" Her voice was still angry and distressed. Nick gave her a little squeeze.

"I know you do and I am _not_ saying we do nothing. We just have to make a plan first. Figure out the best way to help them." Judy angrily huffed and threw her head back, thudding it against Nick's chest. She took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Alright, Nick. You can let me up." Her voice was level, but still angry. Nick decided to err on the side of caution.

"Promise you won't run." Judy closed her eyes and took another breath, then let it out.

"I promise." Her voice was calmer than before. Nick cautiously opened his arms and Judy rolled off him, then climbed to her feet. Nick sat up, watching her intently for any sign she might bolt. She rolled her eyes when she noticed what he was doing and stuck out a paw for him to grab.

"Don't worry, Nick. I promised I won't run and I won't." Nick nodded, grabbed her paw and let her help him up. As soon as he was standing he used his hold on Judy's paw to pull her into a hug.

"I promise we will help your family. We will. We just have to think of a plan." Judy nodded into his chest. They stood there for a moment, enjoying the other's touch. A thought occurred to Judy and she pulled away from Nick, just enough to be able to look in his eyes. He smiled at her determined look. Judy spoke.

"I think it's time to call Mr. Big."

* * *

After calling the number Mr. Big had given to Judy to use in times of emergency, he agreed to smuggle them out of the city. The plan was to hide them in a limousine heading to Bunny Burrow under the guise of Fru Fru visiting the devastated family of her daughter's Godmother and namesake. They arranged a discrete location near the safe house and agreed to rendezvous with the limo there in two hours.

Now, they were driving through the countryside, having successfully gotten through the security checkpoints surrounding the city without raising suspicion. Nick and Judy were sitting in the back seat, thankfully without being crowded by two polar bears. Fru Fru was sitting in the seat facing them with her daughter in a specially designed booster complete with seat belts that would allow the arctic shrews to ride safely in the vehicle designed for much larger animals. Judy and Fru Fru had excitedly exchanged stories and gossip for nearly an hour, with only occasional comments or questions for Nick, who spent most of his time observing Judy, bemused to see the usually tough and determined rabbit acting so girlish. During a lull in the conversation Fru Fru glanced at Nick and finally took note of how intent his eyes were as they laid on Judy. Her face lifted in a coy smile.

"So, Nicky, tell me, how are things?" Her high voice was slightly teasing. Nick turned his head to her, a little confused that she would ask. So far she had pretty much ignored him.

"Things are great Fru Fru. Had a lot of excitement lately, but I can't complain. Well, I _could_. But, I did sign up for a life of adventure when I became a cop." His smile and tone were pleasant, as always. Fru Fru's coy smile did not diminish at the vague answer.

"Lot's of excitement, huh? That must be nice. I haven't had a lot of excitement since I had little Judy." She reached over and stroked the sleeping toddler's downy fur. "I don't suppose you've thought about settling down?" Fru Fru's coy smile stretched a little wider when Nick's eyes twitched towards Judy before jumping back to her. Nick knew he had been had when he saw how pleased Fru Fru was. He decided to be gracious in defeat.

"Sure I have. But, a career is important. I want this one to last a little while longer before I go messing with it." Fru Fru understood immediately that it was not his own career that Nick was speaking of. Judy watched this exchange with a small amount of confusion, sensing there was more being understood than said, but not sure what that was.

"I can understand that. Good luck, Nicky." Fru Fru turned back to Judy and engaged her in more small talk. Judy let herself be pulled into the conversation, but only after a lingering glance at Nick, who was now looking out the window. What had he meant just now?

* * *

About two hours later the limo was nearing the Hopps' Family Farm when they encountered an obstacle. A military jeep was blocking the road, along with two soldiers. One of the soldiers, a coyote, informed the polar bear driver that the area was declared a biological hazard and no-one was allowed in. The driver was forced to turn around. Judy suggested another farm nearby, one owned by a family friend, and said it would be a good place to look for her family. A few minutes later they were parked in front a farmhouse similar to the one Judy grew up in. Seeing some of her siblings on the porch, Judy took off her seat belt and made to get out. Her head snapped to Nick when he put a restraining paw on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Cottontail. Colonel Biao might be watching this place. You can't leave the limo." He turned to Fru Fru before Judy could object. "Could you have the driver ask for Judy's parents to come here?" Fru Fru gave Judy a sympathetic look, then answered Nick's question.

"Of course." She turned towards the open privacy window. "Leroy? Be a dear and ask _nicely_ for Mr. and Mrs. Hopps to come visit me." The polar bears answer floated from the driver's cabin.

"Of course, ma'am." Was the gruff and polite answer. The entire limo shifted as the enormous mammal exited the vehicle. The many rabbits that were crowding the porch and watching the unfamiliar car shrunk back at the sight of the huge predator. None of those present had ever seen such a large animal in person before. Judy watched through the tinted glass as Leroy stood a respectful distance from the porch and asked to see Mr. and Mrs. Hopps. Most of the little bunnies stood frozen, but a few scurried inside. Neither of Judy's parents came out. Instead, one of Judy's siblings, only a year younger than Judy herself, approached the polar bear. She had light brown fur and she was wearing blue jeans and a yellow plaid shirt. Leroy lead her to the limo, opening the door for her.

Fru Fru, sensing that what was coming next was going to be a personal matter, asked him to take her and little Judy to meet the rest of the Hopps family. After Leroy had gathered Fru Fru and her daughter he ushered the brown rabbit into the limo. Once the door closed behind the younger rabbit, Judy was no longer able to hold herself back. She rushed forward and threw her arms around her younger sibling. Brown eyes widened.

"Judy? Is that you?" She wrapped her arms around Judy and squeezed. Judy nodded frantically, burying her face into her sister's neck.

"It's me Carly. It's me." She pulled back so she could look into her sister's eyes. "I came as soon as I could, but no one's told me anything. What happened? Where's mom and dad?" Carly teared up and she looked away.

"It's bad Judy. Really bad. We lost thirty five. Dad, too. He was trying to stop that monster!" Carly began to sob. Judy pulled her back into a tight hug and cried with her, devastated at the loss of her father and so many of her siblings. After a few minutes, the tears began to slow. Carly looked up from where she had buried her face in Judy's shoulder and spotted Nick, who had been doing his very best to be quiet and still, so as to not interrupt the grieving sisters. She gasped and pulled away from Judy, actually falling to the limousine's floor in her haste to get away from him.

"Carly? What's wrong?" Judy was confused and concerned by the tawny rabbit's fearful actions. Carly raised her arm and pointed at Nick.

"It's a fox! Just like the one that took mom!" Judy turned to look at Nick, confused. He looked back her, a clueless expression on his face. Judy turned back to her sister, kneeling in front of her. She reached out and placed a paw on Carly's knee.

"Carly, this is Nick Wilde. He's my partner, a police office like me. You know Nick. I've sent you pictures." Judy's calm voice soothed the frightened bunny. She lowered her arm and took a second, closer look at the red fox. He was familiar…

"Y-Yeah. Nick. Right. I remember now. Uh, the converted criminal, right?" Nick and Judy both smiled at the apt description. As Judy helped Carly off the floor, Nick asked a question.

"You said a fox took your mother? She wouldn't happen to be an arctic fox, would she? Thick white fur, a blue and a green eye, a little taller than Judy?" Carly gave a dip of her head.

"Yeah, that's her. She walked in after one of those monsters on the news came tearing through. She grabbed mom and some of the little ones. Actually, she said something…" Carly screwed her eyes shut, trying to remember a night she desperately wanted to forget. "Something about a Crawleon Pharmacy Building." Nick and Judy looked at each other. Nick saw immediately that there was no force on Earth that was going to stop Judy from going to this place, wherever it was. Judy saw in Nick's eyes the promise that he would be right there beside her.

"Don't worry Carly. We'll get mom back and get the mammal responsible for harming our family!" Judy turned to Carly and grabbed her shoulders. She locked eyes with her and tried to convey how much she meant to keep her word. Nick didn't want to interrupt, but the feeling that they were being watched was growing to intolerable levels.

"Judy, Carly, I'm sorry, but we have to go. Colonel Biao could be watching and this limo is way too suspicious." Carly perked up at the mention of the tiger.

"You know Colonel Biao?" She questioned. Nick and Judy's eyes widened.

" _You know Colonel Biao?"_ They spoke in unison. Carly looked from Judy to Nick, confused.

"Yeah, he's the guy that led the rescue team. The house was pretty badly caved in and him and his guys dug us out. Pulled me and at least a couple dozen more of us out of there. He was nice. Even made sure we were all okay. He promised to stay at the hospital and watch the hurt ones." Judy felt a lump form in her throat at hearing these words. Biao had helped her family? Nick focused on a different detail.

"He's at the hospital _with your family?"_ Nick's voice was alarmed. Judy immediately caught on. Biao was testing them for the mutagen! Judy spun to face Nick.

"We have to get him away from my family!" It was almost a shout. Nick was staring at the floor, eyes rapidly moving side to side as he thought frantically. He screwed his eyes shut and bowed his head as he came to a dark conclusion.

"I'm sorry, Judy. We can't." Judy was nearly staggered by this admission. Then she got angry.

"What do you mean,'We can't'!? You _know_ what he'll do to them!" Judy really was shouting now. Carly looked frightened and confused, ears hanging down and paws held to her chest as though to shield herself, her gaze switching from rabbit to fox as they argued. Nick shook his head and raised his gaze to meet Judy's.

"He'll give them the best medical care possible. Carly said they were injured. How can we take them from the hospital without putting them at greater risk?" His voice was firm and reasonable. Judy wasn't having it. She clenched her paws and threw her arms down.

"We can't do _nothing!_ " She snapped at him. Nick waved a paw to the side, as though to knock the idea away.

"Of course not. We save who we can. We go to this Crawleon Pharmacy and we get your missing siblings and mother back. That's the best we can do right now." His eyes jumped to Carly, who flinched a little from being noticed. "Did you tell Colonel Biao about this Crawleon place?" Judy just barely held herself back from interrupting. Carly hesitated, eyes swiveling between Nick and Judy.

"Uhh...No? I mean, I'm pretty sure I didn't. But, I don't know for sure if noone else did either." Her voice was meek. Nick nodded seriously.

"Do you think you could check with everyone else and make sure? Also, could you find a way to contact Colonel Biao? A phone number, maybe. Also, let Fru Fru know it's time to go. And don't tell anyone we were here or it's going to cause you trouble. Big trouble." Carly looked to Judy, who was glowering at the floor, arms crossed. Sensing her sister's gaze, she looked up. Judy's face softened at the somewhat frightened look her sister had. She smiled as best she could, trying to reassure her younger sibling.

"Go on, Carly. Please." She reached over and squeezed Carly's shoulder. Carly nodded.

"Alright Judy. I'll be right back." She turned and exited the vehicle. Judy jumped onto the seat and watched through the tinted glass as her sister ran to Leroy, touching his leg to get his attention. She looked away when she heard Nick clear his throat. Nick spoke once her gaze was on him.

"Look, I know you're upset about Biao-" He paused when Judy raised a paw.

"No, no. You're right about him. I don't think he'll hurt them. They're safe, for now. We need to just focus on saving my mother and the rest from Volpe. If she's responsible for these catastrophes, then I want her in custody. She might even be able to get rid of the mutagen and we can finally get the government off our backs." She walked across the seat and sat next to Nick as she talked. When she was done she leaned back and closed her eyes. She heaved a sigh. "I just want our lives back and for everything to go back to the way it was." Nick glanced down at her paw, then took it into his own.

"You don't want _everything_ to go back to the way it was. Do you?" There was something in his tone Judy had never heard before. She raised her head and opened her eyes to look at Nick. His eyes were down and his ears were drooping, almost pressed to his head. She was shocked to realize he was feeling _insecure_. She leaned forward and wrapped both of her arms around his side.

"Dumb fox, I didn't mean _that_. I'll always love you." She leaned up and gave him a kiss on his cheek. The smile he gave her warmed her heart and she couldn't help smiling back. The two looked up when the door was pulled open. Judy released Nick as Leroy leaned in and carefully placed and secured the special booster that held Fru Fru and her daughter. Fru Fru spoke up as soon as Leroy pulled away and closed the door.

"Oh, Judy, your family is _wonderful!_ They are all just so _nice_. I see where you get it from. Hm?" Fru Fru noticed how close Nick and Judy were sitting and the coy smile returned to her face. "Oh, getting comfortable are we?" She laughed when Judy slid away from Nick with an embarrassed look on her rabbit face. "Oh, don't be that way, honey. I don't mind. Nicky's a fine fella. Why, he even became a cop, just so he could be near you. If that's not love, I don't know what is!" Judy was covering her mouth with one paw and had her head down, staring intently at the carpet.

Nick watched her amusedly, always enjoying how cute she was when she was flustered. He turned his head to Fru Fru when she called his name.

"And you, Nicky. I know you renounced your shyster ways and I'm very proud of you for that. But if you hurt my Judy, I'll make you wish my daddy had you iced! Capiche?" Nick smiled and reassured Fru Fru.

"Trust me. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Judy." He smiled over at Judy as he finished. She raised her eyes from the floor just long enough to catch his loving gaze. Her eyes immediately returned to the carpet and she pressed her burning ears to her neck. Fru Fru smiled knowingly at the pair.

"That's good to hear. Judy deserves a guy that'll take care of her." All three of them looked to the door when it opened again. Carly hopped in and she was holding a white business card. She immediately walked up to Judy and held it out to her.

"This is one of the cards the Colonel gave to us. It has his number." As soon as Judy accepted the card Carly turned to address Nick. "I asked around and nobody fessed up to telling him anything, so I think you're safe. Please, bring my mother home." Nick's face was serious as he nodded. Judy slid from her seat to stand before her sister. She pulled her into one last hug, then walked her to the door. Leroy was waiting patiently and closed the door for them once Carly had made her exit. Soon, they were back on the road, heading for Zootopia. Fru Fru interrupted the ensuing silence.

"So, what's the plan? How are we going to save Judy's mother?" Nick looked up from where he had been staring at the floor, contemplating that very problem.

"The first step is obvious. We need to learn more about 'Crawleon Pharmacy'."


	15. Plans Made

Fru Fru made a call to her father, asking him if he knew anything about a Crawleon Pharmacy. He revealed that there was an office building in Zootopia owned by Crawleon Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. He also revealed that this building was set in the center of the Downtown Quarantine Zone. It would be impossible to get to. Every access, including the underground tunnels and sewers, had been cut off.

Mr. Big refused to say anymore over the phone and told them that if they wanted to go into the Quarantine Zone, they would have to do so without his help. The risk of them being caught was too great. If they were caught and his involvement was revealed, it would spell the end of his family's prosperity. Fru Fru reluctantly agreed, having to think of her husband and young daughter.

While Judy and Nick were disappointed, they also understood. Mr. Big and Fru Fru had already risked a lot to allow Judy the chance to help her family. Asking for more would just be selfish and ungrateful.

Fru Fru did do something they didn't expect. Nick and Judy were exiting the car, the limo having arrived at the same rendezvous point where it had first picked them up, when Fru Fru asked the polar bear driver, Leroy, to give them the package from the trunk. She called out to the pair that it was a gift for her daughter's godmother. Then Leroy handed Judy a black briefcase, got in the limo and drove away.

Now the two were alone in an alley, looking down at the mysterious gift. Nick nudged Judy.

"Well? Open it, Cottontail. I'm dying of curiosity over here!" Judy looked from the briefcase, to Nick and back again. She kneeled down and laid the briefcase before her. Nick crouched behind her, muzzle between Judy's ears as he watched her unlatch the two brass plated clasps. Judy put a paw on either side of the briefcase and raised the lid. They both gasped.

"Oh, wow." Judy's voice was incredulous and her eyes were wide. She felt Nick's snout brush against her ears as he nodded.

"'Oh, wow' is right. What else could you expect from a Mafia Princess?" The case was filled with slightly crumpled wads of five, ten, and twenty dollar bills. Judy reached for one, but had to pull her paw back when Nick leaned over her and pushed the lid closed. He reached around her with his other paw, trapping her between his arms while he closed the latches. He grabbed the briefcase handle in one paw and stood, dragging Judy to her feet by her arm with his other paw. Judy was getting annoyed.

"Nick! Hey-!" He interrupted her as he began to pull her in the direction of the safe house.

"Sorry, Carrots, but we have to go. This much money in one place is bound to cause trouble. We need to get it off the street, _now."_

* * *

The electric clock read 7:57 P.M. as Nick lead Judy into the safe house. He let go of her arm and dropped the suitcase the instant they were through the entrance and, in nearly the same motion, spun around to slam the door shut. He leaned against the door, breathing a sigh of relief as he locked the deadbolt and slid the security bar home.

Behind him, Judy huffed and straightened her clothes. The look she threw his way was a little annoyed, but mostly curious. What could he be so worked up about? She hadn't seen him have such a knee-jerk reaction to something like that since that time he realized they were in Mr. Big's limo two years ago. She grabbed the briefcase and walked it to the small coffee table, calling over her shoulder as she set it down.

"What's got you so knotted up, Nick? You act like someone's going to come bursting through the door." She kneeled in front the coffee table and opened the briefcase. Nick pulled away from the door and sauntered over to Judy.

"You remember that friend I told you about? The one named 'Experience'?" He sat next to her and they both started to pull out wads of cash, neatly stacking them on the table for easy counting. Judy rolled her eyes.

"I do. That's the one that taught you the _fine_ art of breaking and entering." Judy's voice was just slightly sarcastic. Nick nodded sagely.

"The very same. You know what else Experience taught me? Large amounts of cash on the street are _trouble._ With a capital 'T'. And 'R'. Just capitalize the whole word. ' _TROUBLE'_." Nick began counting the bills in one of the stacks. Judy glanced over at him from where she was doing the same.

"What did your friend teach you about _avoiding_ capitalized 'TROUBLE'?" Nick set his current stack aside and picked up another. He thoughtfully counted the bills, formulating his answer.

"Planning, Carrots. Careful, _careful_ planning. Do not step out that door unless you are one hundred percent sure about what you are going to be doing with the money. Careless spending attracts grifters. Then it attracts thieves. Sometimes a few at once and things get messy." Judy hummed her acknowledgement and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

Over the next several minutes they counted the money. After double checking they found they had exactly ten thousand five hundred dollars. It was equally divided between five, ten and twenty dollar bills, all of which were obviously used. Both trained officers knew that would make them more difficult to track if the money was seized by law enforcement.

Now that they knew how much money they had to work with, they started planning. Nick had to shoot down Judy's idea of full tactical gear immediately. The street prices for such equipment in the heavily regulated Zootopia were exorbitant. They wouldn't even be able to outfit the smaller Judy in a full set of light armor.

Nick proposed a different approach. They would get into the Crawleon Pharmaceutical Building using stealth. With his night vision and her almost prescient hearing they would sneak into the building and extract the the hostage bunnies. He explained that it would also be cheap. An average burglar could be well equipped for under five hundred dollars. That would leave the bulk of Fru Fru's gift left to them in case they had to do something drastic, like leave the country.

Nick waited for Judy to agree to this plan before telling her the part he knew she would hate.

"Call Biao!?" He winced as she shouted almost into his ear, as they had been cuddling on the couch during their brainstorm. He looked into her eyes, trying to get her to see his reasoning.

"As a last resort. We don't know what we might find there, Fluff. If we get in over our heads he's the best chance we have at a quick rescue." Judy immediately thought of an alternative.

"Why not call the Chief?" Nick shook his head.

"With that blowhard Viverra guarding the gate? She'd sooner open fire then let him through to help us. And the fuss she'd kick up could delay backup for hours. With a colonel there, an entire _parade_ of reinforcements could get through those checkpoints and _Captain_ Viverra wouldn't be able to do a thing about it, no matter how much she doesn't like us." Judy hated the idea of relying on the tiger for anything, but Nick was right. He was their best chance at backup if this rescue went south.

Nick suddenly slid off the couch, leaving a confused Judy suddenly sitting alone.

"What are you doing?" Nick was heading towards the phone.

"I need to make a few calls. You know, arrange to buy the stealth gear, see if anyone knows a weakness in the Quarantine fence, etcetera." He grabbed the phone off the hook and dialed a number. Then he turned around and leaned against the counter. When he spotted Judy watching him from the couch he placed the phone on his shoulder. "This is going to take a few minutes. Why don't you get cleaned up and go to bed? We have a _long_ day ahead of us." Judy rolled her eyes as she slid off the couch and headed for the bathroom. She called to Nick over her shoulder as she went.

"You always did have a gift for understatement, dumb fox!"

* * *

Thirty minutes and a shower later and Judy was in bed. Her eyes were red from crying and she was desperately choking back sobs, knowing Nick might hear. He was making important phone calls and she knew he would drop everything to comfort her if he knew she was like this. The thought made her want to cry more. How did she even get like this? She had just settled under the covers and without meaning to had recalled a time when her father had tucked her into bed. She was very small, only five or six. Her father made sure to make time for all her siblings and it had seemed like a very long time since she had seen him. He had surprised her by tucking her into bed personally, telling her that he had noticed she seemed down lately and that he wanted to make sure that she was alright. Little Judy had been moved to tears. She had felt unimportant, like just another bunny in a whole big crowd of them. The realization that her father really did love her had touched her deeply. Little Judy had smiled so brightly through her tears, throwing her arms around her surprised father and telling him she loved him.

It was in that moment of recollection that it came to Judy. She was _never_ going to see her father again. She would never get to hug him again, or thank him for supporting her, even though it was obvious he was afraid for her. The realization had hurt worse than anything that she had ever experienced. She cried as silently as she could and thought of how badly she wanted to talk to him, one last time.

" _I love you, daddy."_ She whispered brokenly into the empty room, hoping, praying that somehow, someway, her father would hear her. However, the room wasn't as empty as she thought.

Nick had been standing in the doorway, watching the rabbit he loved more than life itself suffer. He had wanted to go to her, but then he recalled his own grief when his mother died. He had wanted nothing more than to be alone. So he stood in the doorway, caught in agonizing indecision. Did he comfort her, or did he let her work through this herself?

Hearing Judy's tragic whisper, everything changed. Without even realizing it Nick began to move toward the bed. Judy was so lost in her grief that she didn't notice his approach. It wasn't until he was already gathering her into his arms that she realized he was there. Nick tucked a pillow behind his back and leaned against the headboard, settling Judy into his lap as he did so. She immediately curled into a ball and buried her face into his chest. Nick wrapped his arms around her and held her close, one paw gently stroking her ears. It was nearly a whisper when he spoke.

"Don't worry, Judy. I'll never let you go."

* * *

It was morning the next day and the sunlight streaming around the closed blinds dimly lit the room. Judy was waking to the feeling of being held in Nick's warm, furry embrace. It was becoming a wonderfully familiar sensation. She shifted and raised herself on to her arms, leaning over so she could look down at her love's sleeping face. She smiled at how handsome he was, resting there so peacefully. She thought about how much she loved him. He had become her rock. While everything else was changing, he was right here next to her, supporting her every step of the way. She couldn't imagine getting through all this without him.

Nick's face tightened then relaxed. His green eyes slid open, slowly adjusting to the light. His head turned to look up her and he flashed her a sly, sleepy smile.

"Hey, beautif-" His greeting was interrupted by Judy lowering herself and taking his lips in a slow, loving, passionate kiss. Nick brought up a paw and stroked her back, slowly tracing lines down her spine. When Judy finally released the kiss she threw herself across him, laying on his chest and burying her face in the thick, warm fur on his neck.

"I love you, Nick. I love you _so much._ " Nick wrapped his arms around her slender body and brought one paw up to stroke the soft fur on the back of her neck. His usual sly, lazy smile spread across his face.

"Geez, I didn't realize you rabbits were so affectionate in the morning. It's kinda nice. Hmm." Nick hummed in contentment, feeling warm and relaxed in Judy's embrace. They stayed that way for a few minutes. Nick had almost drifted off again when Judy shifted. She raised herself up enough to kiss his cheek, then she pushed herself up until she was kneeling on the bed next to him. He cracked open one eye to look at her and she gently reached up to run her paw through the fur on his head. His eye slid closed, then opened again when she gently tugged on his ear.

"Sorry, lazy fox. Can't stay in bed. We have a lot of work to do, remember?" Judy smiled gently down at him. Nick sighed, wishing they could stay this way forever. But, Judy was right. Time to get moving. He pushed himself up until he was leaning back on his arms, then shifted his weight to one. His newly free paw came up and gently cupped the back of Judy's neck. The fox drew the rabbit into a sweet, lingering kiss. They separated slowly, each smiling warmly for the other, both getting lost in the other's gaze. Nick broke the spell first.

"C'mon. I'll make breakfast. You wash up. You're a mess!" It was true. The fur on Judy's face was matted and crusted with dried tears. Judy's smile became wry and she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you try to look pretty after crying your eyes out. Let me tell you, it's not easy." Nick's soft smile became his usual lazy smirk.

"Well, _you_ managed it. So there must be hope for me yet." He slid out of the bed as he spoke. Judy called to him as he walked out the bedroom door.

" _I'll always_ think you're pretty!"

* * *

The duo left the apartment at eight a.m. and spent the next twelve hours gathering equipment and information from Nick's contacts and informants. A dodgy looking leopard that identified himself as a 'spy movie enthusiast' sold them two dark blue bodysuits and a set of night vision vision goggles for Judy. A rather intimidating bison with tattooed horns sold them the tools and equipment they would need to break into an office building. A weasel sold them a prepaid phone and information on where the Quarantine perimeter fence was weakest. It took so long because they had to walk across the city without the use of public transportation and they had to dodge street cameras.

Nick managed to convince Judy to return to the apartment for a short rest before the arduous task ahead of them. When they returned they found that Bogo had left several messages for them, saying he knew about Fru Fru's sudden visit to the Hopps family and that they had _better_ not have been in that limo. He mentioned Biao had returned to the station and had pressed for a more aggressive policy towards finding the fugitive officers. He reiterated several times that if they were caught, there would be nothing he could do.

"At least we know the big lug cares." Nick said after the last message had played.

Nick and Judy, after a small argument, decided on four hours of sleep and a quick meal before before they set out to rescue her mother. After the alarm clock was set and the two settled in for their brief rest, it occurred to Judy that the mission they were to embark on was no doubt going to be a dangerous one. So dangerous that one of them might not come back. With the death of her father so fresh on her mind, the idea of losing her partner did not seem like an unlikely, abstract idea, as it usually was. No, the idea became a very, very real fear. This fear made Judy cling to Nick fiercely as they tried to sleep.

After four hours Nick shut off the alarm before it could go off. Neither had managed to get any real sleep, but they were both glad for the rest. Since it was going to be dark they decided to put their equipment on in the apartment. Judy walked from the bathroom, having just squeezed into her bodysuit. She noticed Nick pulling up the zipper on his own suit and voiced a complaint.

"Is your suit tight? My suit feels tight." She rubbed a paw down one hip, trying to relieve herself of the feeling of her fur being bunched up under the grip of the material. Nick glanced over at her from where he had been about to grab his equipment belt and paused at the sight of her. He ran his eyes over her slender shoulders and trim sides, appreciated the the swell of her hips and nearly licked his chops over her athletic thighs and calfs. All wrapped in form fitting spandex. He smiled wolfishly.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I can feel mine getting _pretty tight."_ Judy felt her ears burn under his hungry gaze, but she wouldn't back down this time. She boldly strode up to Nick and trailed a paw down his chest.

"Easy there, handsome. I don't think you can handle all _this._ " She took a step back and turned to the side, posing with her shoulders back and hip cocked towards him. She winked at him and turned to the table, seeming to ignore him to grab her own equipment, but enjoying the feeling of his gaze on her. It was nice to be appreciated.

Nick finally tore his gaze from Judy's body and turned back to his own equipment. It was a belt that resembled his police issue duty belt. It had a few pouches and holsters, all of which contained tools that would be useful for breaking into an office building. A lock picking set, multi-tool and wire cutters were all included. He strapped the belt on and cinched it tight. After a quick check to make sure everything was secure, Nick decided he was ready.

Judy had just finished securing her own identical belt. She turned and walked towards the door, tapping Nick on his back as she passed to let him know she was ready.

"Come on, sly fox. Time to go." Nick turned and followed her out of the apartment, grabbing a pair of bolt cutters that were leaning against the wall as he went, resting them against his shoulder. He replied as he shut the door.

"Right behind you, Carrots."

* * *

Inga Volpe stood next to her much taller employer in the familiar lab, watching a small group of shivering rabbits, an adult female and three small adolescents, through a two way mirror. She lifted a brow and turned to her bandaged companion.

"I don't get it. Why are they still alive? Shouldn't they be monster chow by now? Ooh! Can we feed them to my thylacine!?" The red eyed mystery mammal chuckled at her enthusiasm. He turned and looked down at her eager, upturned face. He almost felt sorry to dash that hopeful look in her eye.

"I _am_ sorry, Pet. I'm afraid I have plans for these little ones." He turned away from the pouting arctic fox to level his fiery eyes on Bonnie Hopps and her three children. His paw reached into his lab coat's side pocket and pulled out a sealed vial filled with red fluid. The villain spoke again as he rolled the crimson cylinder between his long, thin digits.

"Big plans."


	16. Plans in Motion

There was a loud _**POP!**_ and a flash of light as Nick cut the cable powering the Quarantine perimeter fence. He stumbled back in surprise and dropped the bolt cutters, not having expected the flash to be as bright as it was. The clattering sound got Judy's attention and she turned from where she had been watching the mouth of the alley they were in. The rabbit was a little alarmed when she saw her partner standing with both paws over his eyes.

"Nick? You alright?" Nick raised his paws from his eyes and rapidly blinked.

"Yeah, just a little blind. Give me a sec." When his vision returned he glanced around for the bolt cutters. He bent over and scooped them up from where he dropped them. He inspected the blades and scowled. There was a blackened hole scorched out of both edges. He tossed the ruined tool to the ground. So much for cutting a hole through the perimeter.

"I take it we're climbing the fence." Nick glanced over at Judy as she walked up to him. He turned and walked past her, forcing the rabbit to stop and turn to follow him.

"Guess so. C'mon, Carrots. It won't take long for them to notice cable's been cut." The duo picked up their speed, running out of the alley and across the darkened street to the twenty foot high fence, topped with barbed wire. Judy pulled ahead of Nick and started to climb the chain link immediately. Nick didn't let his annoyance with her not checking if the fence was really powered off slow him down, jumping onto the fence and following after his partner. When Judy got to the top she carefully raised the wire and allowed Nick to slip under. Once he was through, Nick did the same for Judy, holding the wire while she topped the fence. The two climbed down, jumping to the ground when they were half way down. They immediately darted into an alley, running until they were no longer in sight of the perimeter.

The two turned a corner and Judy signaled Nick to stop. They both skid to a halt and the fox turned to his partner. She held a digit to her lips, then her eyelids slid shut. Nick tried to not tense up whenever one of her ears twitched, but it was difficult. After a minute, Judy's eyes opened.

"There are some savage animals near us. I can get us around them, but I need you to guide me through the dark. When I pull on your arm, I need you to just take us in the new direction. Trust me?" She held out a paw for him to take. Nick smiled and took it in his own.

"Always." Power had been cut for the majority of the Quarantine Zone. The streets got extremely dark, especially once you were away from the perimeter. Nick used his night vision to guide Judy through the darkened streets and Judy acted as an early warning system, taking them around savage animals waiting in ambush or prowling the streets. Even though they hurried as much as they dared, it was nearly dawn when they arrived in front of the Crawleon Pharmacy Building.

It was an unimpressive office building. Forty seven stories tall, completely covered in glass panels, and totally unremarkable compared to some of the amazing skyscrapers found in the heart of Downtown Zootopia.

Seeing the front doors not just unlocked, but actually propped open convinced Nick and Judy that it was unwise to use them. They immediately walked around the edge of the building, searching for another way in. A ground floor window looking into the street near the corner of the building was smashed, with most of the glass thrown out into the sidewalk. Before she knew what was happening, Judy found herself swept off her feet. She barely contained her surprised squeak when she realized she was in Nick's arms.

" _Nick!? What are you doing!?"_ She barely kept her voice to a whisper due to her panic and embarrassment.

" _You can't see in the dark. I can. Or did you want to walk over broken glass blind?"_ Judy could hear the smug tone in his voice. The jerk had probably enjoyed the surprised look on her face. She barely kept herself from slugging him.

" _I_ could _use my night vision goggles, dumb fox."_ Nick shrugged as best he could while his arms were full of annoyed rabbit.

" _You heard the 'spy movie enthusiast'. Those goggles only last an hour per charge. Just hush and let me carry you."_ Judy huffed quietly, but relented. Nick, carrying his pouting passenger, carefully navigated through the field of broken glass and stepped over the window frame into a small, bland office. Once they were clear of the hazard, he carefully lowered Judy to her feet.

Not wanting a repeat of that embarrassment, Judy grabbed the night vision goggles from where she clipped them to the back of her belt and put them on. She tapped the button on the side and watched as the world came into focus entirely in shades of green. Looking around, she spotted the door out of the office. It was hanging ajar and the frame around the lock was splintered and destroyed. Something had smashed through it. Judy held up a paw and Nick stopped next to her. The rabbit closed her eyes and listened carefully. At first she let her hearing open upward, taking in the floors above. There was only the slight groan of the building flexing slightly in the wind.

Finding nothing, she gradually lowered her focus. Expecting to hear the echoes of an abandoned parking garage, what she found instead was a faint hum. The hum of electricity. Her eyes snapped open and she walked forward, with Nick trailing behind. She led him down the hall into a lobby. The propped open front doors were to their left and two sets of elevators were to their right.

Judy approached the nearest set of elevator doors and carefully placed her ear against it. She lifted a paw and gently knocked. The echo from within revealed a shaft that went all of the way to the top of the building, but only a few yards down. She pulled away and moved to the next elevator, repeating the test. She was frustrated to find the same results.

She turned and sat on the floor, preparing to really focus. Nick, who had watched all of this patiently, decided now would be the best time to interrupt.

"Carrots?" His voice was soft and low, but not a whisper. "What are you doing?" Judy spared him a glance, but he couldn't really tell that through the goggles.

"I can hear something underground. These elevators don't go deep enough. I'm trying to see if I can hear another way down. Now, quiet." Nick huffed at the command. He turned and leaned against the wall between the two sets of sliding doors, crossing his arms as he settled himself. Once he was still, Judy closed her eyes and opened herself up to everything she was hearing. Her environment came to her in stunning clarity. First, she heard Nick. She heard his breathing, the sound of his fur rustling under his suit as his chest rose and fell, even his heartbeat. She took a moment to appreciate his presence, then moved on. There was a faint breeze coming in through the door and the faint rasp as the gentle wind passed over the room revealed the exact location of the front desk, the office chairs behind it, every dead potted plant, and every door and opening in the room.

Judy worked hard to ignore these things and focused downward. The faint hum of electricity came to her, and she tried to follow it back to it's source. It was too muffled, even for her. Trying again, she focused _around_ the source of the sound, trying to find a way towards it. There! There was a faint echo. It sounded just like the one from the elevator shafts. Now, where was it…?

Judy stood, feeling sure that she had found what she was looking for. Nick stood from where he was leaning. She motioned to him with a paw and turned to walk across the lobby. He followed her into a hallway, where they passed dozens of doors, the few standing open revealed more offices just as bland as everything else they had seen in this building. The hallway turned right, went down a ways, then turned right again. They walked into another, smaller lobby. It was lined with numbered doors. Judy strode across the room with purpose, right up to an open door. Nick felt uneasy when he realized that it was the only open door in the lobby. Just beyond the door was a small waiting room, complete with chairs. Nick became more uneasy when he saw that there was an elevator. It had a down arrow on the call button and, unlike _everything else_ in the Quarantine Zone, the button was lit from within by electricity.

"This is a trap." Nick's voice showed how _absolutely certain_ he was of this fact. "I mean, I knew it was a trap _before_ , but now they might as well have hung a banner saying 'Welcome to the Trap!' If we go into that elevator, there _will be_ something bad waiting for us." Nick stopped as soon as he passed into the waiting room, but Judy had gone ahead. She approached the sliding doors and pressed her ear to it. She gave it a knock and the echo confirmed it. This was _definitely_ the way down. She turned around to face Nick.

"If you don't want to use the elevator, fine. But this shaft is the _only_ way. So help me get these doors open. We'll have to climb down." Soon Nick was beside her and, after a brief brainstorming session, they decided on a solution. Nick pulled out a small screwdriver from one of the cases on his hip. He positioned the tip between the doors, then struck the butt of the handle with his palm. After a few tries, the shaft of the screwdriver went in. He pulled sideways on the handle, wedging the doors apart just enough to slip their paws in. Working together, they managed to pull the doors open, revealing an empty shaft that sank into darkness.

* * *

As soon as the duo opened the elevator shaft air began to flow passed them into the structure below.

The bandaged scientist was bent over a table, carefully using a small electric grinder to shape a reddish-grey cone. It was eight inches long and the base was two inches wide and had four prongs sticking out, like a tooth. Fiery red eyes watched every detail as bandaged paws carefully used the tool to put the final touches on a decorative spiral that ran from the base to just short of the tip, giving the item a shape similar to a narwhal's tusk.

Apparently satisfied, the animal leaned back and admired it's work, smiling through the bandages and revealing many small, sharp teeth set in a square, slightly squat snout. It took a deep breath and let it out, shoulders relaxing. Then it paused as it noticed something.

Red eyes blinked in surprise. The bandaged snout rose slightly in the air and took a few experimental whiffs.

"Hm?"

* * *

Nick was startled when Judy turned and sprang into the shaft, flying diagonally across the void to his left. He watched with wide eyes as she hit the wall and stayed there, clinging to rungs built into the side of the shaft. He narrowed his eyes at her when she turned to look at him from over her shoulder. She stuck her tongue out when she saw his irritated face. The fox raised both paws to rub at the fur on his head, then threw them into the air, only to let them fall back to his sides while he stared at her, deadpan. Judy watched Nick's non-verbal tirade coolly. Then the rabbit shrugged and began to climb down the rungs into the darkness below.

"Unbelievable. It's a good thing I love her or I'd…" Judy smirked as her sharp hearing caught Nick muttering to himself as he prepared to jump to the emergency ladder as she had. After a few seconds she heard him grunt, then an 'Oof!' as he hit the wall, then the gentle tap-tap-tap as he climbed down after her.

In the dark, even helped by natural or technological night vision, the shaft seemed to go on forever. It seemed like hours, but only a few minutes passed when Judy came to the first aberration in the wall. It was an air duct and it seemed to be pulling air in, rather than pushing air out. She glanced around the elevator shaft and realized she had almost climbed passed an elevator door without noticing. Upon further inspection, she realized there were more doors heading down. She counted six before the elevator car blocked her view. So, there were seven floors, _at least,_ down here, a hundred feet or so below the city. Who could _pay_ for something like that? Was the _entirety_ of Crawleon Pharmaceuticals in on this?

Her contemplating allowed Nick to catch up to her and he paused just above her. He brushed her ears with his tail, getting her to look up at him.

" _So, what's the plan, Danger Fluff?"_ He whispered. Judy rolled her eyes at the ridiculous nickname, then thought about it. What was the plan? Using the door or using the air vents seemed like the only options. She decided to try the vents first. She motioned for Nick to wait, then she slipped one leg over one rung of the ladder, then hooked the next rung down with her ankle. Clinging to the ladder with only her legs, Judy retrieved a screwdriver from a case on her own hip. She leaned across the cover of the vent, torso perpendicular to the ladder as she worked on loosening the screws.

Nick rolled his eyes at the acrobatic display. Geez, his girl was badass. Worse still, she knew it, too.

With the last screw removed, Judy carefully grabbed the cover before it could fall and handed it up to Nick. He rolled his eyes again. What was _he_ supposed to do with this? After a second's thought, he managed to jam one corner in the rung above his head and then bent the thin metal around the rung until he was pretty sure it wouldn't fall.

Meanwhile, Judy had successfully pulled herself into the ventilation shaft. At eighteen inches across, it was actually not _too_ claustrophobic for her. She pulled herself in a little ways, then waited for Nick. A few moments later he managed to pull himself in .

* * *

Fiery eyes keenly scanned a group of twelve monitors, set four to a row and three to a column. The top left showed the interior of the elevator car, while each of the rest showed a different lab, including the pens that held his experiments. Each also showed no sign of intrusion. Frustrating.

"Where are you…?"

* * *

Judy had taken a moment to listen while waiting for Nick. While still faint, there was the unmistakable sound of snarling. If she was right, there were dozens of snarling animals. Some where so horrid she couldn't imagine what could be making the sound. After Nick's touch made her flinch she focused back on her partner.

"Nick, we need to be _really_ careful. I can hear a lot of savage animals." The fox nodded his head seriously.

"Can you hear your mom or the kids?" Judy paused and listened, then shook her head. Nick looked down and sighed. He raised his head and looked her in the eye.

"So, this is it. Do we go back and call Biao, or do we go ahead and try to find your family?" Nick wanted to give her the choice. This was her family at stake. The mention of Biao hardened Judy's resolve.

"Let's make sure. If they _are_ here, we'll get them out. If not, we leave. Either way, we'll report this place once we're gone. Let's go." She turned forward and began to walk on all fours. Nick had a slightly harder time doing so quietly, but he managed. They soon came to another vent. Looking through it revealed a pristine white lab. There wasn't anything _obviously_ nefarious about it, other than it's location. They moved on, following the ventilation shaft over, then _down_ (which had taken some tricky maneuvers to pull off) three levels. They rested briefly, then went down three more. Despite the cool air running passed them, the duo were beginning to warm up from their exertions. First Nick began to pant, then Judy.

* * *

The mysterious villain was pacing back and forth in front of the monitors. Despite his face being covered, his irritation was obvious. The scent of fox and rabbit was unmistakable at this point. He could even smell their collective breath! They might as well have been standing behind him, yet the monitors continued to show nothing. The experiments had even smelled them and were throwing a headache inducing racket.

In his frustration, he approached one of the air conditioning vents set high on the wall. He stuck his snout an inch away from the grill and took a deep breath. No doubt! There were intruders in his sanctum. He slapped the wall and turned away, only to pause. He turned slowly back to the vent, eyes disbelieving. Could they possibly…?

He turned his head and pressed a bandaged ear to the grill, listening intently.

* * *

Nick had his back pressed firmly to one side of the vent and his feet on the other. Below him Judy was in the same position, with nothing but empty space below her. As he lowered himself down the vertical shaft, Nick's sweaty paws slipped. He reflexively stomped one foot down to catch himself.

* * *

_Bang!_

The sound was faint, but undeniable. The smile that spread between the bandages would have unsettled any sane animal that saw it. They _were_ in the vents! Maybe this would be interesting after all.

The unknown creature swept from the room with a smile full of pointy teeth and a sparkle in his crimson eye. Oh, Joy! Time for a Hunt!

* * *

Judy glanced up and saw Nick struggle briefly to regain a grip. She held her breath as his legs wobbled and body shook. She let it out as he steadied himself.

" _Don't worry Nick. We're almost to the next level."_ She kept her voice down, hoping that no one had heard them. She lowered herself a little more, until she came to a junction in the vent. It branched off horizontally to her left. She carefully slid over until she was no longer in the vertical shaft, then dropped down to the horizontal one. She immediately got to her knees and stuck her head back into vertical shaft watching a little nervously as Nick lowered himself the last few feet. The rabbit reached out both paws and helped the fox into the horizontal space, where he gratefully lowered himself to the cool metal. They scooted back until they were a comfortable distance from the sheer drop.

Nick laid on his back and wiped his paws on his chest, trying to dry them off. Judy leaned over his head to check on him. His reassuring smile calmed her nerves. Her head perked up when her sensitive hearing caught something.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap! Tap!

She was alarmed to realize that whatever it was, it was getting closer. A paw to his lips stopped Nick from asking what was wrong and she settled herself in to listen. It was difficult to pick up anything over the cacophony being created by the dozens of creatures two levels below, but as she concentrated the details came to her. She froze up when she heard another heartbeat nearby. As more came to her, she realized there was a stranger in the lab next to them. This unknown was walking the length of the room, reaching up and rapping a knuckle on the ventilation shaft as they went. They knew they were in the vents!

Nick, sensing her distress, became as quiet and still as she was. They both noticed the tapping stop and they tensed when they heard a single sniff through a nearby grating. They stayed absolutely still as the tapping resumed.

Tap! Tap! Tap! **Tap!**

The sound got closer until it was right on top of them. Nick and Judy glanced uneasily at the vent wall immediately to the fox's left, positive that whoever it was had to be only inches away.

Something punched through the sheet metal and slammed Nick against the side of the shaft. Whatever it was grabbed ahold of him and pulled, drawing his side tight against the opposite wall. Nick pushed against the wall with his arms and legs, but he knew he couldn't hold on. Judy dove forward and, with a quick tug, undid the buckle on his belt. Nick fell to the floor of the vent as his equipment was whipped out of the ragged hole.

Judy grabbed Nick's wrists and hauled him into motion. They desperately ran down the length of the ventilation shaft on all fours. They passed the grate where their attacker had sniffed for them just as it was torn off the wall. A paw with long, thin digits reached for them as they went by, actually brushing the fur on the end of Nick's tail as it grabbed at them. They continued their desperate run with the long fingered animal running parallel to them in the lab. They came to the end of the shaft and Judy slammed into the grate, knocking her goggles askew, followed by Nick. Their momentum was halted, but the grate was loosened. They both threw themselves against it and one corner bent away. Behind them, the paw punched through the sheet metal again. Nick shoved Judy passed the grate just as the bandaged digits clamped down on his scruff.

The rabbit's goggles slipped off as she was pushed and Judy found herself falling briefly through darkness. She landed hard and, even through the haze of adrenaline, she felt a white hot pain lance across her right arm. She jumped to her feet, doing her best to ignore the pain in her arm while looking desperately for her goggles. She spied a little blob of light in the darkness and scrambled towards it. Her paws came down on the somewhat familiar contraption and she tried to put it on. The rabbit was dismayed to find it was badly damaged. The right lens was completely inoperable, while the left was badly cracked and could barely be seen through.

When she turned to tell Nick he would have to guide her, Judy realized she was alone.

"Nick!? Where are you!?" Her voice was panicked and afraid. Her heart jumped into her throat when she heard his pained shout through the darkness.

"Judy! Ru- **AH!** " His plea was cut off with a strangled yelp.

"Nick!?" She couldn't help her desperate yell. It tore out of her throat before she even knew it was happening. There was a moment of silence, then the dark shaft was flooded with light as the elevator doors were forced open on the floor above her. Judy threw off the broken night vision goggles and was momentarily blinded by the light. The rabbit fell on her back and scrambled away in shock when something landed right in front of her. Violet eyes widened as she took in the seven foot tall shadow and she froze in fear when she saw burning red eyes looking down at her. A wheezing breath tore her gaze from the monster's eyes to its right hand. Long, thin digits were wrapped around Nick's torso from behind, holding him fast. He lifted his head from where he hung helpless in the villain's grip.

"Get awa-aaAAH!" The creature in the lab coat squeezed Nick's torso cruelly, forcing all of his breath out in an agonized shout. Judy jumped up, ready to fight, but froze when the grip tightened again, causing Nick's face to seize in torment, mouth opening in a soundless scream of anguish. The grip finally relented and Nick drew in a tortured gasp. Judy's gaze snapped up to the burning red eyes over the cruel grin when the evil animal finally spoke.

"Now, now. None of that. I've been waiting for you, Judy Hopps."


	17. Plans Achieved

The mystery mammal allowed Judy no time to respond, taking advantage of her distraction over Nick's pathetic state to snatch her off the top of the elevator car. The motion was so amazingly fast that Judy wondered if she could have dodged it even if she was forewarned. That is, she would have, if her apparently broken arm hadn't been squeezed against her side in the bandaged monster's implacable hold. No, instead, all she could think about was the near-blackout inducing stab of pain, followed by an only slightly less painful throbbing.

"Ahaa-ah!" Once her breath was gone, Judy found it difficult to get back while in the vice-like grip of her captor. At least trying to breath distracted her from the pain. That is, until the red eyed freak turned around and jumped up through the open elevator door to the floor above. The jolt to her arm actually was bad enough that Judy started feeling dizzy. Or was it the oxygen deprivation? It was getting really hard to breathe.

Nick began to struggle when he saw Judy's eyelids began to flutter. He ceased when he felt the thin, long digits wrapped around his already sore ribs tighten. The fox decided to try something else.

"Hey, Carrots. Stay awake! You can't help me get out of this if you black out!" Their captor chortled as he turned back to the elevator door. It was a sound that would have been friendly in any other situation. He raised the paw holding Nick to the frame, using a knuckle to press the call button. The doors slid closed and the arm holding Nick raised him up so that red eyes could gaze down at him, amused.

"'Get out of this?' Why, my vulpine friend, I do not think you comprehend the situation you are in. And here I thought foxes were supposed to be clever." The elevator doors opened again and the villain stepped into the box, turning and using a knuckle to hit the floor button marked '9'. Once he brought Nick back up to where he could see him, the fox gave him his best sly smile.

"We are clever. Can't you tell? I have you right where I want you." Nick's voice was surprisingly confident, if a little wheezy. A condescending smile spread across the bandaged face.

"Oh, my, well. Why didn't you say so? I suppose I should surrender. Right after you tell me how exactly you 'have me where you want me'." Even through the bandages, Nick could tell a single brow had been raised, daring him to continue. The ex-con fox didn't disappoint.

"We summoned reinforcements. They'll be here soon. If you don't release us and the bunnies right now, the military is going to come crashing through your door. While you have captives. How does spending the rest of your life in a hole sound, slugger?" Impressively, Nick's smile and voice did not waver. He gave no sign at all that what he said wasn't the truth.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The unknown animal gave his response while he carried them deeper into the lab.

"I must say, you foxes are an amusing lot. Not very bright, but amusing. Let me dash your lies with truth. If you worked for the military, you would have military issue weapons and equipment. If you could summon the military, you would not do so before coming here and risk being caught with me and my pets. Too much crossfire, you see. And as for living in a hole, well, I happen to be one of the world's foremost experts on genetic engineering and biological modification. Within my mind are secrets that every nation on Earth would kill to have. So, even if I am captured, all I have to do is make a deal and I will be placed in a lab exactly like this, where I am most comfortable." The arm that had been holding Nick slowly drifted to the side as the scientist talked and walked, but now the fox was brought back directly into the villain's line of sight. Amused red eyes glimmered down at him.

"Well, my 'clever' friend, this has been mildly diverting, but I really must get back to work. Don't worry about your partner. I am only interested in living carriers of my mutagen. You, on the other hand, are of no interest." The condescending smile darkened into something that made Nick gulp. "Perhaps we could see how far your 'cleverness' will take you against one of my creations. See who really is more clever, hmm?" They passed through the sliding door into the kennel. Nick and Judy, wide eyed, glanced around at the dozens of huge, hairless, mutated animals held behind the clear panels. Nick flinched and shut his eyes when one of the abominations rushed them, only for it to bounce off the glass. One eye slid cautiously open after a moment. Once it was obvious they were safe, for now, he turned his attention back to his captor.

"Now, let's not be hasty! No need to feed me to your nightmare fuel. You want living hosts? I'm a living host!" The red eyes, which had begun to wander, were unimpressed as they glanced at the nervous fox.

"Oh? This is a fact?" The creature's voice was doubtful. Nick nodded his head frantically.

"Yes! Fact! I have the government stamp of approval on that one. Just don't ask them or they'll kill me." Nick tried to pass it off as a joke, but his voice was tinged with panic. They suddenly veered to the right and Nick found himself pressed face first to the glass. A monster with more teeth than it could fit in its mouth slammed into the other side of the pane. Nick nearly hurt himself in his struggle to get away from the glass, but fingers like rods of steel held him tight.

"Now, you wouldn't be trying to con me, would you, slugger? Because, let me assure you, there are worse things than a moment of terror and a quick death. Much worse." The animal's voice was low and terrible, full of dark promise. Nick twisted around as best he could, looking over his shoulder into the hateful red eyes.

"I came into contact with one of your carriers! Mortimer Spurrelli, the sloth!? Big, mean, hairless! Ring a bell?!" The over fanged monster on the other side of the glass was going nuts and Nick's voice revealed how desperate he was to get away from it. The red eyes rolled up slowly, seeming to think about it.

"I do recall one of the early releases was a sloth. Fine." To Nick's great relief he was pulled away from the glass and they resumed their journey through the lab. Nick's joy was short lived when he caught sight of Judy hanging limply in the the bandaged freak's grip, face slack, eyes shut.

"Hey, Carrots! Wake up! Snap out of it! C'mon!" The fox's voice rose an octave in panic. The scientist shook Nick hard enough to cause pain.

"Oh, do shut up! I have heard enough out of you! Quiet!" The red eyes made for an impressive glare. Nick wisely fell silent and still. They finally left the cells and entered another area. There were four cells, one in each corner of the room, but between them were tables filled with hundreds of instruments. Each table seemed to have a theme. To their right was a computer monitor hooked into dozens of machines meant for analysis. Straight ahead was a somewhat familiar and normal looking chemistry lab. There was actually two tables to their left. One was a flat slab with many straps and belts. The other was covered in a disturbing array of medical blades, ranging from sturdy electric bone saws to almost delicate seeming scalpels. There was also a great many syringes and similar tools for taking samples.

Nick was tossed into one of the cells like so much garbage. The glass pane slid shut behind him immediately. The air was knocked from his lungs when he landed and a moment was spent just getting his breath back. The fox rubbed his sore neck as he stood, internally cursing the red eyed freak for shaking him. Nick took in his cell. It was actually quite roomy. At least twenty feet wide and long. They would have to be big, he realized, if they were to contain the mutants. The two walls facing out into the room were thick and transparent. Their captor would be able to see the entire interior from anywhere inside this particular lab.

Nick walked up to the transparent wall and watched with some degree of horror as Judy, still unconscious, was strapped to the examination table. He remembered the scientist saying he was only interested in living specimens, but he was still not entirely able to suppress the panicked feeling in his chest. Anxious green eyes watched as the long, thin digits took up an empty syringe. With machine like efficiency, the needle was placed to the side of Judy's throat then pressed into her flesh, her blood rushing into the vial. When the vial was mostly full the needle was removed. In a moment Red Eyes (as Nick began to call him in his head) was in front of the monitor at the analysis station, having already placed the blood sample in a receptacle.

Seeing that the bandaged freak in a lab coat had settled into an office chair to study the results on the screen, Nick decided to look around. After a quick glance Judy's way showed that she was still unconscious, he started taking in the rest of the room. Sterile and white. Surprisingly clean, considering what kind of work was performed there.

Movement drew Nick's eye to the cell to his right. He was astonished to see a little bunny in a yellow sun dress, one paw pressed to the glass, the other waving at him frantically. Nick ran across his cell to the other wall, pressing his paws and nose to the glass to get as close as possible. Wide green eyes took in the little rabbit. She was no more than ten inches tall, had grey fur and violet eyes. He was shocked by how much she looked just like a smaller version of Judy. Nick's eyes slid passed her into the rest of her cell, where he spotted the other captives. Bonnie was on her side, unconscious. Her clothes were dirty and torn, and even from forty feet Nick could tell she was in a bad way. A little boy and girl bunny, both with Stu's coloring, crouched next to her, stroking her fur.

Nick's gaze went back to the little Judy clone. She had both paws pressed to the glass now and her lips were moving, but no sound reached him. Nick reached up a paw and flicked an ear, then shook his head. The little bunny closed her mouth. Ears drooping, she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the glass. Her defeated expression made Nick's heart ache. After a moment she opened her eyes, though she held her gaze down and she kept her forehead on the glass. Nick waved until she glanced up at him. When their eyes met, the fox gave the little bunny his best reassuring smile. At first, she didn't respond. Slowly, though, a small, weak smile appeared. They spent a moment smiling at each other, taking comfort in the other. The little bunny's eyes turned to something behind Nick and she perked up. He followed her line of sight to the exam table.

Judy was twitching and jerking, obviously trying to escape her bonds. Nick's head swiveled around just in time to spot the mad scientist as he stood from his chair. A few long strides had him next to the exam table momentarily. Nick could see lips moving, but could not determine what was said. He tensed when the unknown creature laid a paw on Judy, but he relaxed when it pulled away, holding her equipment belt. After dropping it in a shoot in the wall, the freak released her from the straps. Cruel, spindly fingers wrapped around Judy's ankles and lifted her up. Nick tensed again, hating that he couldn't prevent this abuse. The bandaged criminal walked up to Nick's cell and pressed a button on the wall using his free paw. The door slid open and Judy was tossed in. Nick barely managed to catch her and they went down in pile of limbs.

"AAH!" Judy rolled off Nick, clutching her arm to her chest. Nick didn't get a chance to do anything before he was dragged into the air. The cell door slid shut behind them and in a few seconds the mad scientist had dropped the red fox to the examination table. Faster than he thought possible, Nick was strapped down and immobilized. Green eyes glared up into the apathetic bandaged face.

"You're pretty good at this 'being a total bastard' thing, Red Eyes!" Nick knew what he should be doing, fishing for information, but watching Judy being abused had set his blood boiling. Said 'bastard', ignoring the fox's words, prepared another empty syringe. Nick winced as the needle was pushed into his neck. He grunted in frustration as the creature walked away without a word, doubtless to test the new blood sample. Nick, never very prone to keeping quiet, pushed down his temper and tried again.

"Hey! Why don't you tell me how such a smart guy ended up a super-villain? I bet it's an interesting story!" There was no answer for several minutes. Nick took the chance to test his bonds, but found no weaknesses to exploit. The villain walked up next to the table and peered down at Nick, red eyes unreadable. Thin fingers placed a white plastic case on the table next to Nick. The fox was surprised when the bandaged mouth began to speak.

"It's not very interesting at all, really. I have always been this way." The thin, bandaged digits undid the clasp on the box and raised the lid. "I have what they called a 'type-2 personality disorder'." A complicated black harness was pulled from the box. "They said I had no regard for others' lives or well-being." The harness was pulled down over Nick's head. " I suppose I just never saw the point. Caring for others. Humph. Like they would ever do anything but waste my time." The thin fingers ran over Nick's head, tightening and loosening straps, making sure it fit perfectly against the foxes skull. Nick carefully took in everything the mad mammal was saying and doing, committing every detail to memory. When the creature went silent while fiddling with something still in the case, it was time to press for more.

"You've always been this way. Huh. I suppose the bandages are a fashion statement." The creature was unperturbed by Nick's sarcastic tone. He pulled what he had been working on out of the case, revealing a black collar with two square nodes along it's length. His captor responded when he leaned in to fit the collar on the fox's neck.

"I am in a transitory period. I know it's worth it, but I must admit…" The collar was tightened just enough to be uncomfortable. Then the monster leaned in close, almost nose to nose with Nick. Long, thin digits reached up and took ahold of the bandages covering the villain's face and pulled them away. Nick recoiled in shock from what was revealed. There was no skin. Muscle and sinew visibly stretched and twisted to form a nightmarish smile.

"Change can be painful!" The beast positively cackled when it took in Nick's horrified expression. The restraining straps came off in a few quick motions. The fox tried to scramble away, but the monster was too fast, too strong. Nick found himself once again hanging from the right paw of the ghoulish scientist, freakishly strong digits wrapped around his ribs from behind. He struggled against the implacable grip, but the fox just couldn't get away. Green eyes clenched in agony as his torso was crushed almost beyond enduring. The hold loosened and he took in a few ragged gasps. When Nick finally had his breath, his eyes slid open. He realized they were standing in front of the cell holding the bunnies captive. The Judy lookalike had retreated to her siblings and all three were cowering over the fallen form of their mother. The skinless freak leaned in and spoke almost directly into Nick's ear.

"Now, clever fox, you are going to help me with a little experiment. This," The monster's left paw reached into its lab coat and pulled out a syringe gun. The cartridge was filled with a transparent crimson fluid. "Is a formula very similar to the one that made me into what I am today, but far more potent. I am just dying to study its effects. I was going to use the rabbit, but she has already been affected by the Night Howler formula. You, however, are a pure sample." Nick's struggling returned when he saw the size of the needle, then doubled when he was told of its contents. He looked over his shoulder into the hateful red eyes.

"What are you talking about!? We both have the mutagen!" Nick snapped at the villain. The maniac shook his head and tsked.

"Haven't you figured it out? The mutagen requires a catalyst. Your rabbit friend has already been changed, but you have not. You are the best subject for this test. Now, I'm going to apply the serum, then throw you in with these little ones to see if you tear them apart!" Nick fell limp in the monster's grip, staring over his shoulder at the skinless, yet triumphant face with uncomprehending horror.

"Why?" The simple question was the only word Nick could force passed the lump in his throat. The mutant leered at him.

"Because I want to use the serum on myself, of course! I can't use it if insanity is an unavoidable side effect. So, I need to know if a motivated individual can fight through the effects on the mind. You are motivated, aren't you? To save these poor, defenseless bunnies." The bastard's voice became mocking. Nick looked fearfully between the cowering children and the syringe gun.

"Listen, you don't have to-GAH!" Nick shouted when the huge needle was plunged into his side, just below his ribs. The monster leaned in while the serum was pumped directly into the fox's liver and whispered in his ear.

"Oh, but I do." When the syringe gun was depleted, the macabre villain tore the needle from Nick's side and slapped a button on the wall in the same motion, activating the door, with Nick hitting the ground in the middle of the cell not a moment later. The door immediately shut again, sealing the fox in with the four rabbits.

Nick writhed on the ground in utter torment. It felt like molten iron had been poured into his stomach. It stayed there for a moment, a ball of white hot agony unlike anything he had ever experienced. Then it began to spread. The pain was so intense Nick couldn't even scream. He gasped desperately over and over, but it felt like he was suffocating. The fox was keenly aware of the burning pain as it traveled upwards through his chest. His back arched as it reached his heart, felt it go from racing to seizing. Now, he really felt like he was dying. He should have blacked out from the pain, but adrenaline or something else was keeping him aware. Paws grasped at his throat as the unbelievable pain made it to his larynx. Even gasping was beyond him as his trachea clenched. Then the fire reached his head. A burning hand invaded his skull and squeezed his brain, trying to wring out the sanity like water from a sponge.

Nick became aware. He was on his front, face to the ground. His head was ringing and he felt something hot on his forehead. Nick watched as blood trickled from between his eyes, off his snout and dripped into a little puddle on the ground. It took his addled brain a moment to figure out he had smashed his own head onto the floor.

"Uhm, hello? Are you alright?" Green eyes rose from the puddle of blood to the the little group of rabbits. The two tawny children were still huddled by their unconscious mother. The grey furred, violet eyed female that reminded him so much of Judy was standing, however, and had taken a step towards him, lovely little bunny face full of concern.

BITETEARCLAWKILLBLOODFLESHEAT-!

Nick rose up on all fours, raised his head high and brought it back down with all the strength in his body. His forehead struck the unforgiving floor with a crack! The sound filled the entire cell and the young female flinched, stepping back towards her mother and siblings. Nick collapsed, stunned. After a moment he recovered, pushing himself back to his knees. The fox was sure that a third blow would kill him. The desire to harm the little ones had not abated. He raised his head again.

The villainous scientist stood just outside the cell, watching with clinical detachment as Nick prepared to kill himself. The monster's right paw grabbed a small remote in his lab coat pocket and pressed the first of two buttons.

KIKIKIKIKIKIKIKIKIK!

Nick tensed and tilted over, collapsing on his side and seizing as the electric nodes on his collar did their work. The shocks ceased after a moment and he lay there, head ringing and body on fire. He realised that the red eyed bastard wasn't going to let him die.

So, time for a different solution. The fox tried his best to forget that the rabbits existed and decided to focus instead on the amazing pain that was still coursing through his body. Diving into the pain, embracing it, gave him a focus away from the helpless creatures. He tapped his head against the floor and his cracked skull rewarded him with a shock of pain that left him seeing stars. Good. He had almost forgotten why he needed to feel pain. He did it again. More stars. Good. Why was he hurting himself? The reason was blurry. Another tap. More stars. Good. The pain gave him focus, proved he was alive. Tap. Stars. Good.

The scientist frowned as he saw the fox remain on his side, slightly raising, then dropping his head over and over. It appeared the subject had found a method to cope against the animalistic impulses. Time to see how it reacted to additional stimulus. The paw holding the syringe gun placed it back in the side pocket it came from, then reached for a breast pocket. It pulled out a small remote identical to the one in it's right paw. The villain pressed the second of two buttons.

Back in the cell, unnoticed by Nick, Bonnie Hopps was wearing her own collar. It was different from Nick's. His only had two nodes, one on each side of his neck. Bonnie's had two identical nodes, but it also had a third, different node on the back of her neck. Instead of powerful batteries, this one contained a large dose of Night Howler serum. Once that second button was pushed, a small needle protruded from the node and sank into Bonnie's neck. The vile blue substance drained into the mature rabbits body. Violet eyes snapped open.


	18. Plans Laid to Waste

The three adolescent bunnies were crouched between their mother's collapsed form and Nick, watching the apparently insane red fox as he lay on the floor of the cell, bleeding head bobbing up and down, green eyes glassy and vacant. The silvery female stood and took two cautious steps forward. None of the siblings noticed their mother's eyes open behind them.

A powerful leg lashed out and caught the tawny furred girl full in the side. Her slight body was propelled almost directly into the wall, skull slapping the unforgiving barrier and body collapsing like a puppet with it's strings cut. The brother caught the movement from the corner of his eye and turned towards it. Bonnie's paw clapped his small chest and sent him sprawling on his back. He was too dazed to realize the danger when his mother's familiar form loomed over him. Powerful teeth sank into the soft flesh of his neck.

The grey furred female turned towards the disturbance just as Bonnie placed a paw on the beige adolescent's chest, using it to hold him down while she pulled her head back, tearing out his throat in a spray of blood. Violet eyes widening in confusion and terror, the little girl's body froze as her mind locked up, completely incapable of comprehending the sight before her. Her mother crouched over her brother's body as it spasmed, blood splattered all over his face and chest. The savage rabbit snapped it's gaze toward the adolescent, the fur around her mouth wet and matted with fresh blood. The familiar violet eyes, usually full of warmth and love, had just violence and hate.

The little bunny's body jolted and she fell on her butt when the unrecognizable thing that used to be her mother screeched, flecks of blood spraying out. Without thinking, she turned and scrambled away, staring fearfully over her shoulder and not looking where she was going. She only made it a few feet when she crashed into something and fell to her back. Fearful violet eyes looked up into angry green.

Nick stood on all fours, crouched over the little prone rabbit. He raised one paw, making the little girl flinch and close her eyes. The expected blow never came, however, and after a few seconds the little girl opened her eyes. The fox was no longer in front of her.

* * *

Nick had raised his paw and stepped over the frightened bunny, placing himself between her and the savage Bonnie. He slowly rose up on two feet, spreading his paws out and extending his claws, silently challenging the bloody rabbit. The little monster crouched, flexed her powerful legs and pounced, easily clearing the distance between them.

If Nick wasn't in so much pain, he would have been fascinated by what he could see. It was like the world was moving in slow motion. Every detail came to him in stunning clarity. He watched Bonnie as she flew towards him, paws outstretched, modest claws extended. He could see every follicle of hair, her fur moving in waves as it was disturbed by the air. Could see little globs of blood as they were whisked off her face, leaving a wake of red droplets. Even saw the pupils of her eyes dilate and focus as she came closer.

Nick reached out his arms and clamped his paws on her wrists, pulling on them and using their combined momentum to swing the airborne bunny around and toss her into the nearest wall. Nick collapsed as well, his head injury asserting itself after the rapid spin. The world spun and quaked before his eyes and he nearly retched.

The fox had just managed to draw himself to his paws and knees when the savage crashed into his side. Nick was thrown harshly to the ground, vision going dark and head ringing. His sight returned and Bonnie's fierce visage swam into focus. Nick threw up his left arm just as she lunged and her powerful teeth sank into his forearm and the not-nearly healed wounds left there from his last encounter with a savage rabbit. The sudden pain damaged his carefully gathered calm and the red-hot insanity of the serum returned.

**TEARCLAWBITE!**

The fox raised his arm with Bonnie still attached over his head, then lunged under it to bite into her throat. The collar provided some protection, but it did not stop Nick's teeth from causing damage. The taste of another's blood invaded his mouth, green eyes dilating as whatever hold he had left on sanity was torn away.

**BLOODFLESHKILL!**

The fox, filled with renewed strength, surged off the ground. Savage purple eyes widened as Bonnie was bodily lifted off the ground, carried a few feet, then slammed into a wall. The impact loosened her jaw and Nick tore his arm from her mouth. The fox threw the rabbit to the ground and pounced. Sharp teeth, much more suited for tearing flesh than a rabbit's, sank into Bonnie's neck just below the collar. The savage struggled, kicking and clawing at her attacker's head, but the fox wouldn't be denied. He shook his head viciously, ripping flesh. Blood sprayed out from between teeth, coating the fur on Nick's muzzle and neck.

The savage rabbit's desperate scrabbling slowed, then stopped, violet eyes growing dull. After a minute or so, the fox's jaw released it's hold. He leaned back, looking down at the warm, bloody corpse.

**EATEATEATEATEAT!**

* * *

Judy looked away as Nick began to feed, unable to bear the thought of what was happening to her mother. Earlier, after Nick had caught her, she had been too distracted by her arm to do anything about him being taken from the cell, but she had eventually been able to work through the pain and focus on what was happening. Her amazing hearing was able to penetrate the thick walls, so she saw and heard everything. So, now she was on her knees by the transparent wall of her cell with tears running down her face, trying and failing to ignore the faint sounds of her mother being eaten by the fox she loved. It must be so much worse for her sister...

Judy perked up at the thought of her sibling, realizing she still had living family in that cell. Her head swiveled back to the other box, only to flinch away as her eyes were drawn back to Nick eating her mother's flesh. She looked again, trying to ignore the distressing scene as she scanned for her look-alike. She found the silvery bunny in the far corner, kneeling over her sister's body. The sounds coming from the cell were too muffled for Judy to discern a heartbeat. Judy's eyes flicked to her brother. She wished she could say he might make it, but that would be a lie. The entire front of his neck was _missing._ If the shock didn't kill him, the blood loss did. Judy closed her eyes and shed a few more tears. How much more was her family going to have to lose because of the selfishness of this unfeeling mammal?

The scientist had turned away from the cell after the subject had obviously lost his mind to the effects of the serum. Oh, well. It was always a long shot, but he had been hoping the side effects wouldn't be so severe. Still, this test had provided valuable data. It was time to check the recordings of the fox's brainwaves, sent wirelessly from the harness fitted to his skull

* * *

Awareness came slowly to Nick. He was lying on something cold and hard, but he didn't have it in him to care. Everything was fuzzy and out of focus. Green eyes slowly slid open, the pupils dilating as they adjusted to the light. A sea of shapes and lines and colors greeted him. After a few moments he remembered how these things were actually representations of the world and a sterile white room rapidly came into focus. The fox rose up on an elbow, the other paw coming up to rub his head. He had the strangest impression that it ought to be really sore, but there was no actual pain. His fur felt weird under his pads. Stiff and crusty. How had he gotten so dirty?

Something moved. Nick's gaze moved to the cell across from him and he spotted a familiar grey rabbit watching him anxiously. The sight of Judy sparked his recollection and everything came rushing back. His entire body stiffened and his heart started to race. The scent of blood rushed into his consciousness and he realised he had been smelling it ever since he woke. Nick lowered his paw from his head and looked down at it. His brain locked up at the sight of his fur stiff with dried blood.

Judy had been watching Nick sleep for the last few hours. After he had finally pulled away from Bonnie the fox had not approached the surviving children, as Judy had feared. Instead, the fox had walked out to the center of the cage and collapsed.

The rabbit was worried that he might still be feral when he woke. It was with an almost unspeakable relief when she realised that he was back to normal. Then she caught his expression as he remembered what happened. The look of horror on his face as he looked down at his paw made her throat feel tight. She remembered how terrible she felt when she realised what she had done under the effects of the Night Howler. She could not begin to imagine what Nick was going through.

The fox in question looked up from his paw and his gaze locked with Judy's. His expression broke her heart. He was begging her with his expressive green eyes to give him a sign, something, _anything_ that would tell him that it wasn't true, that this was just a nightmare. Judy, entirely without meaning to, glanced at her mother's corpse. She knew immediately it was a mistake and her eyes snapped back to Nick, but his head was already turned in the body's direction.

Nick jumped up from his spot on the floor and ran the few steps to Bonnie. The flesh from her neck to her stomach was gone, exposing her ribs. The exposed bones were covered in little gouges from his teeth and her liver was missing.

Nick's mind had gone completely blank. There was a ringing in his ears and the edges of his vision went dark, leaving him focused solely on the atrocity _he_ had committed. His gaze moved from the ravaged torso to her still open eyes. They were cloudy now, sightless and empty. The knowledge that he was the one to make them this way took him like a punch to the gut.

The fox ran to the side, fell to his knees and retched. The sight of the vomit reminded him that it was Bonnie's flesh he was puking up and his stomach clenched agonizingly hard, forcing up even more. Once his stomach was empty he continued to gag and heave for several painful minutes.

When his stomach finally stopped spasming, he climbed shakily to his feet. As he stood, he recalled that it was not just Bonnie in this cell with him. He instantly spun around, desperately searching for the children. His eyes happened on the boy first. Nick felt as though his heart stopped. For a single, terrible moment he believed that he had done this also, but then remembered what really happened. He wasn't sure if that was any comfort, because being murdered by your own mother was a terrible fate for a child. He moved on from the dead bunny and finally spotted the little girls. The grey one was sitting in the corner, clutching her unconscious sister protectively to her chest and watching him fearfully.

Nick put up his paws, trying to show he wasn't a threat. He approached the pair slowly, stopping a few feet away and kneeling. He wanted to ask them if they were alright, but that's not what happened.

" _I'm so sorry_." The words spilled out without him meaning to. Nick clenched his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears. Now wasn't the time for weakness. He needed to take care of these girls.

"Why did mom hurt Reece? And Kelly?" Nick opened his eyes and focused on the girl. It lightened his heart when he found she didn't look afraid anymore. He thought out his answer while he waited for the lump in his throat to go away. When he thought he could speak without croaking he answered.

"The uh, the monster gave her something. It made her very sick." He recalled that it was at her family farm that Judy discovered the effects of the Night Howlers. "Remember those purple flowers? Night Howlers?" The little girl looked up, thinking hard.

"The Mendicampum Holicifius? Dad always says to stay away from them." The little girl tilted her head. "Is that what happens when you eat them? You hurt people?" Nick nodded his head.

"Yes. That's exactly what happens. So don't blame your mom. It wasn't her fault." The little girl straightened up.

"That's what happened to you. That monster guy gave you some, too." Her frank statement rocked Nick back on his heels. It had not yet occurred to him that he was not at fault. That it was the red eyed villain who had forced the serum on him, driving him mad. Relief spread out through his entire being, so profound he nearly collapsed. Nick finally managed to crack a smile. It was small, but it was there.

"That's right. Hey, kiddo, why don't you tell me your name?" Nick decided it was time to distract her from all this talk about her dead mother. Actually, he needed the distraction too. The little grey bunny matched Nick's small smile with one of her own.

"My name is Susan Hopps, but everyone calls me Susie. What's your name?" In spite of their dark circumstance, her voice was bright and sunny. Nick smiled a little wider. This girl really was too much like Judy.

"Hello, Susie. My name is Nicolas Wilde, but you can call me Nick." His gaze dipped to the beige bunny in Susie's arms. "Is this Kelly? Is she alright?" Kelly was wearing a plain yellow shirt and khaki shorts. The little grey lost her smile and looked down at her sister with concern.

"I don't know." Her voice was small and a little afraid. "She hit her head. She's breathing, but she won't wake up." Nick started to move closer, but stopped with a grimace. He was still covered in Bonnie's dried blood. He pushed passed that fact, knowing that taking care of the girls was more important. Susie looked up at him as he crouched down next to the pair. He put out a paw, then paused.

"I'm a police officer. I know first aid. Would you mind if I looked at your sister?" The little girl glanced down at Kelly's peaceful face, then back up to Nick. She nodded and Nick gently took the girl from Susie.

Judy, watching and listening to all of this from her own cell, was glad that her sister was letting Nick help her, even though she had every right to be terrified of him.

Then the cell doors all slid open. Judy gaped in surprise while Nick turned from where he had been checking Kelly's pupils. Nick spotted the open door and immediately turned back to the girls. He scooped up the little beige bunny and turned to Susie.

"Can you walk?" She answered by springing to her feet and running for the door. Nick turned and hurried after her, careful not to jostle the little bunny in his arms.

Judy and Susie collided just outside of their cell, with Judy using her good arm to clutch the little bunny to her chest and Susie wrapping both her arms around her older sister and hugging her tight. Judy released Susie as Nick approached, moving to stand before him. She kept her eyes on Kelly, rubbing a paw through the tawny fur on her sister's head.

"Is she alright?" It was all the rabbit could think to say. The fox frowned thoughtfully.

"I think so, but we really need to get her to a doctor." Nick swallowed, his ears drooping. "Listen, Judy. I-" He stopped when Judy put a paw on his elbow. She looked up at him, expression sad.

"Nick, we'll get through this together, just like always. But, right now, we just need to get out of here." Expressive violet eyes told him she meant every word. Nick nodded seriously, but on the inside he glad she hadn't rejected him outright. Judy spun toward the door leading out of the lab, surprising Nick and Susie. She spun back to face Nick and her expression was panicked.

"What is it now?!" The fox blurted. Judy answered without hesitation.

"All of the cages opened! The monsters are loose!" The frantic response chilled his blood. Nick immediately began to look for another way out. He spotted a vent in the wall and pointed to it as best he could while his arms were full.

"There! Let's go!"

* * *

After Nick had cut the power cable to the perimeter, the duo had not used any stealth on their path over the fence and into the Quarantine Zone. The two were caught on a traffic camera feed. Less than two hours later they were identified by a military investigation. Colonel Biao was notified immediately. He had his best tracking teams, comprised mostly of wolves and rats, both of which had an uncanny ability to follow scent trails, follow the fugitives' path through the abandoned part of the city. It was slow work, especially since they often had to fight off savage animals. Eight hours later they finally identified the Crawleon Pharmaceuticals Building as their final destination.

Within the hour a full contingent of the best spec ops teams the government had to offer had invaded the building, sweeping through it with the speed and precision that only highly trained military personnel could achieve. They came upon a snag almost immediately and Colonel Biao had decided to check on the problem himself.

Now the burly tiger stood in the waiting room that held the elevator that led down to the secret labs. He leaned through the still open sliding doors and stared down into the pitch black shaft. An assistant, a much smaller lynx, came up on his side, stopping a respectful distance away.

"Colonel Biao, sir! The Special Forces squad you requested has arrived." The big cat in black turned from the shaft face the rest of the room. Four soldiers were waiting for him, standing with their arms behind their backs in a loose parade ground rest. On the far left was a bison with dark brown fur. He wore the standard military fatigues, but the sleeves were torn off at the shoulder, leaving his thick arms exposed. There were three gold rings in his left ear. Next to him was a black wolf with a creamy white face and underbelly. The wolf wore a black baseball cap and an unhinged smile. The third member was also the smallest, a grey fox. He also seemed to be the oldest of the group, though it was hard to tell with his naturally grey fur. The final member was the tallest, a camel with glossy light brown fur. He was the most well groomed of the lot, with every aspect of his appearance, from fur to his teeth to his uniform, meticulously cleaned and cared for.

Biao inclined his head to the soldiers.

"Alpha Team." The soldiers responded in unison, standing ramrod straight and saluting.

"Colonel Biao, Sir!" The tiger waved them down.

"At ease. Smith, front and center." As the others assumed parade ground rest the gray fox stepped forward, wearing a cocky smile that was strikingly similar to Nick's.

"How bad is it?" The tiger resisted the urge to shake his head. Alpha Team might be the best, but all of them tended to be insubordinate. Still, can't argue with results.

"You will be dropping into an unknown hidden bunker. The only information we have been able to ascertain is that there are nine levels, minimum. Chances are high you will encounter savage animals and 'Hunters'." The fox rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then looked Biao right in the eye.

"Your boys can handle this kind of work. What do you need us for?" The fox's curiosity was well founded. Colonel Biao was well known in the military for training and organizing very effective soldiers. The tiger looked the fox right in the eye.

"Your unit has the highest known success rate in the field of hostage retrieval." The fox didn't quite wince, but he did sigh. He reached into a breast pocket and pulled out a cigar tube. Biao waited patiently as Smith opened the tube, retrieved the cigar and lit it up. The fox took a puff, letting the smoke waft around his muzzle.

"That's the way it is, huh? Who are we looking for?" The fox's face was serious, an expression that found it's match in Colonel Biao.

"A rabbit named Bonnie Hopps and her three children." The fox did wince this time, bringing the paw holding the cigar up to rub his forehead.

"Kids. Of course there's kids. Anything else?" The tiger chose to ignore the disrespectful tone in the fox's voice, knowing he was upset about children being in such a dangerous place.

"Yes. Two fugitives, a red fox and a grey rabbit. If you encounter them, you are to subdue them alive, if possible." Smith flashed Biao an annoyed look, knowing he was holding something back. These Black Ops types were always holding something back.

"Fine. Is that all, Colonel?" The tiger nodded his head.

"Yes, Smith, that is all." The tiger walked out of the room, with the lynx trailing behind. The fox sighed and turned back to the rest of his team. They all stood a little straighter under the gaze of their leader.

"Alpha Team, move out!"

* * *

Red eyes glared balefully at the monitors as bandaged digits typed codes into the small security station. The smell of other animals was overwhelming. The monster knew he had been found, but he prided himself on being prepared. Time to show these whelps the true power of his genius!


	19. Another Way

The four members of Alpha Team had just landed on the first floor of the lab after rappelling down the elevator shaft. The gray fox Smith gave out the marching orders, turning first to the largest member of his team.

"B.A., I want you in the lead. There's a good chance those 'Hunter' freaks are down here and you're the best equipped to deal with them." The fox's tone was smooth and confident, even when facing the unknown. The enormous bison hefted an enormous shotgun with an enormous drum magazine and nodded.

"You got it, boss. I'll show those fools not to mess with us!" As the brown furred beast took up position at the front of the group the leader turned to the wolf and the camel, both of which were carrying more conventional assault rifles.

"Murdoc, you're with me. Face, bring up the rear. Let's go!" The dog's unhinged smile spread a little wider as the group began to hustle down the corridor, turning to the fox moving next to him.

"Heehee! Boss, you think it'd be alright if I got to fight one of the Hunters one-on-one? I've been looking for my next near-death experience!" The wolf reached over his shoulder to stroke the handle of the sheathed machete on his back. The fox didn't look up to respond, keeping his focus on the lab ahead of him.

"Murdoc, our number one priority is the location and retrieval of those civilian rabbits. If _anything_ gets between us and that goal…" A grin spread across Smith's face and he glanced up at his craziest soldier. "I order you to go _howling mad._ " The corridor echoed with the wolf's insane cackle as they ran.

* * *

Nick kicked out the grate leading into the elevator shaft, then slid out of the vent to land on the roof of the elevator car. He turned to accept the comatose Kelly from Judy, holding the little beige bunny to his shoulder with one arm so he could use the other to help the still injured Judy down, then little Susie. The fox noticed that Judy was immediately distracted, long ears twitching.

"What is it? Are the freaks coming?" Nick tried to keep his voice down, but he was feeling a tad panicked. Judy turned toward the sound of his voice, completely blind in the dark shaft.

"It might be worse. I can hear military personnel. They have the entire office building covered. If we go up, there's no way we won't be captured." Her voice was less panicked than Nick's. She'd been through too much today and it showed. This was just another problem to be added to the heap of problems they already had. Nick gave a sigh so irritated it bordered on a growl.

"Well, ain't that just _peachy_." The fox leaned against the cool concrete wall of the elevator shaft and tilted his head back. He cradled the little beige furred head to his shoulder and took a few deep breaths to clear his mind, allowing him to think. An idea sparked in his brain and he turned his gaze back on Judy.

"Hey, Carrots, Ole' Red Eyes struck you as a smart guy, right?" The rabbit glared at Nick, annoyed by anything that sounded remotely like praise for the villain.

"I guess. If you wanted to call what he had ' _smart'_. Why?" The fox ignored her irritated tone and answered her question.

"Well, do you really think a smart guy would only have _one_ way in and out of his secret lair? I bet he has a back door somewhere, made for just this kind of emergency." Judy's expression cleared as she thought over Nick's suggestion.

"Okay. Let's say there _is_ a back door. Where is it? With all of the monsters loose, it's too dangerous to just search the labs." Nick smiled his usual sly smile, though Judy couldn't tell that in the dark.

"Let's just follow the head freak himself. Think you can find him with that super-hearing of yours?"

* * *

Alpha Team had discovered a door leading to a stairwell while clearing the first floor. Smith, not wanting to split his already small team, had chosen to ignore it while they finished sweeping the area. Now that task was complete and the four soldiers stood before the locked door.

"B.A., blow it." The burly bison grunted and hefted his shotgun, but just before he could pull the trigger the electric lock beeped, red indicator light flashing green. The door swung open on it's own, leaving the soldiers feeling uneasy.

"Well, that was easy!" Except for Murdoc. The crazy wolf smiled and stepped through the door into the stairwell, leaning over the rail and looking down the center of the spiralling staircase.

" **GRAAAAAAA!** " The three sane soldiers all jumped at the noise, hefting their weapons and looking around. Murdoc, with no sign that he was affected at all, turned from the banister and smiled at the rest of the group.

"There's a _load_ of those nasties coming up the stairs. I don't know about _you,_ but _I'm_ ready for a good time!"

* * *

After a nerve wracking minute of 'Ghost Mode' (Honestly, couldn't Nick have thought of a better name?), Judy had concluded that the villain was on the floor beneath them, the tenth and final level of the complex. After squeezing passed the elevator car on the utility ladder and Judy loosening the grate's screws with a claw the little group entered the ventilation system again. They had stopped near another grate, the thin beams of light shining through the grill providing enough light for the rabbits to see.

Nick had just turned to face Judy when the rabbit suddenly glanced over her shoulder to look back the way they came, towards the elevator shaft. Long ears twitched once, then she turned back to the fox.

"The military is in the lab. They've started shooting the monsters up on the first floor." She talked like she was giving a report, voice flat and devoid of any real emotion. Nick was getting worried. Was she cracking under the pressure?

"Can you tell me how many soldiers?" Nick's voice was calm, but some concern shone through in his tone.

"Four, as far as I can tell." Her flat response surprised Nick. Only four? What kind of soldiers were they, for only four to be sent up against dozens of these mutant freaks? Something else occurred to the fox. If there were only four of them, the soldiers would be delayed for some time, no matter how good they were.

"Okay. Four is good. Four means we have some time. We're close enough to Red Eyes. Use Ghost Mode to keep track of him and when he escapes, we'll follow him."

* * *

The scientist grinned maliciously as he typed in two final lines of code. A bandaged digit slammed the return key. The lights above immediately began to flash on and off, strobing continuously. That ought to increase the fun!

A long limb reached under the security desk and pressed a hidden button there three times, then the bandaged bad guy immediately rose from his chair. The computer screen before him went black, as did all of the security monitors, then all of the computers around him sparked and sputtered. The unmistakable stench of burning wires filled the air. The villain snatched a thick black case from the floor by the security desk and turned to go.

* * *

"Son of a _bitch!_ " Face's exclamation came just as one of the hairless monstrosities lunged for him, mouth gaping wide, revealing row after row of needle-like teeth. The soldier threw himself to the side, letting the mutant fly passed him. The camel landed in a crouch and instantly turned, bringing his rifle up and filling the beast full of lead. As the creature collapsed the well groomed soldier ran up to it without delay and put two more shots in the back of its head, smiling grimly. No reason not to be sure!

"You called!?" Murdoc had to shout to be heard over the sound of nearly constant gun fire. Face ignored him, turned back to where the mutants were swarming down the corridor, raised his rifle and began to fire.

The lights beginning to flash had put a real kink in the fight against the Hunters. The creatures were fast and could cover huge distances in the moments of darkness. The moments of brightness made night vision goggles useless _and_ the strobing brightness messed with their eyes, reducing their accuracy. Alpha Team had been forced from the stairwell and were slowly retreating toward the elevator.

Smith grit his teeth as he was forced to change his gun's magazine for the third time in under a minute. That made half of his ammo. The gray fox knew at this rate they were going to be overwhelmed. It was time for a change.

"Face! Get your ass in the elevator shaft and radio for backup! Then head down to the lowest level and open the doors! It's time for an end run!" Even though the camel was only a dozen feet away, the fox had to shout to be heard above the sound of automatic gunfire. An affirmative was shouted back and the camel spun on his heel, running to carry out his orders.

* * *

Judy lead the ragged group of survivors after the lab coat wearing lunatic, careful to stay out of easy smelling range. The group had been forced to abandon the vents, though they had no problem moving through the lab due to all of the doors being open. Their target stopped and Judy held up a paw, signaling everyone to wait. The rabbit listened intently as she heard a long series of tones. It took her a moment to realise the monster was using a keypad of some kind. There was a sound of a heavy lock sliding open and a large metal door opening. The scientist walked through the door, his fading footsteps disappearing when the door closed behind him and sealed itself.

Judy motioned the group forward, leading them down a short hall and through a door. Everyone stopped short when they saw the room's contents. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves holding sealed glass jars. Each and every jar had a deformed limb or organ inside. Susie's eyes fell on one particular jar. Inside was a severed head. There wasn't any fur and the skin bulged out grotesquely from dozens of tumors ranging in size from marbles to softballs. The worst part was the top of the skull was split open and hundreds of pencil thin tendrils pushed through the crack, like the dead creature's brain had grown limbs and tried to escape. As the slight bunny stared, transfixed by the nightmarish sight, the lights above continued to flash. As the room went dark, then bright again, the little girl was _sure_ that the mutated head's eyes went from rolled up in agony to staring straight at her. Nick, concerned by how still and quiet she was and ignorant of her mental crisis, reached out and touched Susie's shoulder.

" _EEEEEEEEEEE!_ " The small rabbit screamed in terror, making Nick and Judy jump. The fox barely caught Susie as she attempted flee passed him out of the room. He crouched and held the little bunny to his chest as she struggled and shouted, pleading for him to let her go.

"It's _alive! It LOOKED AT ME!_ Let me go _, please!_ " Judy had spun around at the sudden noise, expecting some kind of attack. When she saw Nick struggling to hold her panicking sister in one arm while trying to carry the comatose Kelly in the other she hurried to help him. Crouching behind her sister, she wrapped her good arm around slim shoulders and guided the child out of Nick's embrace into her own. Susie buried her face in Judy's neck and wailed. The older rabbit ran her paw through the fur on the girl's head, shushing her.

"Shhh, hey. It's okay. It's alright. Nothing here is going to hurt you. I'll protect you..." Nick stood and watched Judy comfort the hysterical Susie with something akin to awe. His partner had always been good with kids, but this was different. Her voice, her touch, her very being seemed to shine with maternal warmth. Nick felt something deep within stir and rise up in response, a paternal strength as ancient as his race. The panic he had been carrying ever since his capture by the red eyed monster was crushed and locked away. It had no use for him here. The fox's grip on the comatose Kelly tightened, simultaneously becoming stronger and more caring. It came to him that they weren't safe here.

Judy looked up as Nick came to stand beside her. The rabbit was baffled by the look on his face. It was so firm that at any other time she might have thought it was a glare. His eyes, though, said otherwise. Those green orbs were so soft and loving. Judy felt her ears heat up, in spite of their situation.

"We need to go." Firm and gentle, the fox's voice matched his expression. After a moment of gaping at him with surprise, Judy swallowed and nodded her head. She hefted Susie with her good arm and turned, carrying the frightened girl out of the room, with Nick following close behind like a protective shadow.

After a short hallway they came to a little room, featureless except for a big metal door with a keypad next to it. Judy was annoyed to note that the keypad was five feet off the ground, way out of her reach. Nick, noticing the short bunny's dilemma, had an idea.

"Why don't we put the kids down and you stand on my shoulders?" The fox tried his best to be tactful while making the suggestion, knowing that now was not the time to be poking fun at the hare's height. Judy threw an annoyed glance at him over her shoulder, but then she sighed. A few whispered words to Susie loosened the little bunny's grip and soon she was sitting against the wall, Kelly cradled in her lap.

Less than a minute later and Judy was crouched on Nick's shoulders before the keypad, with the fox holding her steady with a tight grip on her calves. The fox glanced up when the rabbit froze.

"What? What is it?" He did a wonderful job of keeping the impatience he was feeling out of his tone, knowing it would not be helpful just now. After a moment, the rabbit confessed something.

"I don't know the code." Judy's voice was a little shaky. Nick grimaced, having to swallow the urge to shout. He opened his eyes and did his best to smile up at the slightly panicked rabbit.

"You heard the tones the keys made, right? Just match them to the numbers." The fox's patient tone calmed Judy a little, but she was still nervous.

"I don't know which key make which tone." Her voice was a little more steady than before.

"Then just press each button until you know. You can do this." Nick's patient tone and smile did not waver, giving Judy a little more confidence. She reached out and started pressing buttons, starting with one, then moving on. Two, three, four. On five, however, something happened. The keypad gave a warning tone and Judy jerked her paw away. The pair watched with stunned faces as the keypad began to spark and fizzle. Both jerked when there was a loud **CLANK!** They slowly turned to the door, staring at it in horror. Then the fox turned his eyes up, while the rabbit looked down. Their frightened gazes met.

" _Nick."_ Judy's voice came out in hoarse whisper. " _I think the door just sealed._ " Nick gulped, then reached up and gripped the rabbit's hips, using them to lower her gently to the floor. The fox immediately walked to the door and tried to push it in with both paws. When that didn't work he threw his shoulder against it. It didn't move in the least. Nick leaned against the cold metal and let out a heavy sigh, hitting the door with a fisted paw. So, that's it, huh? _Damn_.

The fox glanced over his shoulder and spotted Judy watching him apprehensively. Their eyes met, green on violet. It was like she could read his despondent thoughts. Tears sprung to Judy's eyes. She turned away and walked to her sisters. At first, Nick didn't move from his spot against the door, just watched Judy slide down the wall and sit next to Susie, wrapping an arm around the little girl's shoulders. When the older bunny laid her head on her sister's and began to quietly weep, the fox was incapable of staying where he was.

Nick stood from where he leaned against the door and walked until he stood before the girls. Susie, not entirely over her scare in the previous room, had also started to cry, turning in Judy's one armed embrace and leaning against her older sister as best she could while both arms were holding Kelly.

Nick watched this heart wrenching scene and felt that strength from before rise up in his chest, filling him with resolve. He took a step forward and knelt before Judy, placing a paw on her knee. The rabbit opened her eyes and raised her head, matching her gaze to his. She gasped at what she saw. Nick was smiling gently, green eyes shining. Despite his matted fur and filthy clothes he looked nobler somehow, more than he ever had before. A red furred paw reached up to stroke her face. His smile widened a little at her stunned expression. Then he leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and tender, expressing all the love he felt in that moment. Nick pulled away, smiling softly still.

"I'm going to try another way. Stay here. Take care of the kids. I love you." Judy couldn't answer through the lump in her throat. She felt paralyzed, only able to watch as the fox she loved stood and walked away. She reached up and touched her lips, dread filling her heart. The kiss felt like goodbye.

* * *

Alpha Team had successfully escaped to the lower levels. There were only six or so mutants milling around, the rest having all charged up to the first floor, where at least a dozen soldiers with large caliber rifles were mopping them up, if the noise coming from the elevator shaft was any indication. Not having seen any living thing since level eight, Smith decided it was safe enough for his soldiers to spread out, decreasing the time it would take to clear level ten _substantially._

Murdoc had run ahead, clearing each room with reckless abandon. It was his fondest hope that one of those nasty Hunters was down here and that he would get to fight it alone, without his comrades' interference.

The crazy wolf stopped suddenly, bowing to the ground and sniffing the floor. His smile dipped into a frown. This wasn't a Hunter. This was the fox that made a mess of those poor bunnies on level nine _and_ he had been through here _recently_. The trail was only a few minutes old. The wolf growled while reaching over his shoulder to grab his machete. He was gonna make the bastard pay!

Murdoc unsheathed his blade and took off at a run, following the scent of bloody fox. It was only years of experience that had him ducking the pipe swung at his head when he passed through a door. The veteran soldier rolled and came up in a crouch, turning and lunging for the fox that reeked of blood. The strobing lights made his machete flash.

"Found you!"

* * *

Nick took in the wolf that had so deftly avoided his ambush. Black fur on the back, white fur on the face and front. Black cap. Military fatigues. Assault rifle hanging from his side. Machete in his paw and crazed glint in his eye.

The fox ducked the first blow from the machete, then jumped and rolled away from the follow up, the piece of conduit he had torn off the wall clanging as it hit the floor. As the adrenaline really kicked in the world began to slow, just as it had when he fought the savage Bonnie. The wolf was captured in perfect clarity mid-lunge. Snarling face. Dilated blue eyes. Tongue hanging out. Machete flashing as it made a perfect arc towards Nick's neck.

The lights flashed and dimmed, but his eyes adjusted so rapidly the fox almost didn't notice the change. He would take advantage of it, though. The fox ducked under the blade and brought the piece of conduit up, making painful contact against the wolf's knuckles. The beast snarled in pain, but did not drop the blade. He took another swipe, with Nick dodging the seemingly slow motion strike with ease. The lights flashed on, then off again. This time Nick used both paws to swing his pipe into the soldier's wrist. The paw loosened its grip and the fox took advantage, moving one paw to grab the flat of the blade.

Murdoc was shocked when his blade was suddenly twisted from his grip. The damnably fast fox flipped the machete into the air and caught it by the handle. The wolf tried to back pedal, reaching for his gun, but Nick chased after him and slapped away the paw going for the rifle's handle with the conduit. The machete appeared under the wolf's chin, making him freeze up instantly.

"Paws up, soldier." Nick's voice was deadly serious. The canine followed the order reluctantly, raising his arms slowly into the air.

"What do you think your gonna do, killer? Hold me hostage and walk out of here? Don't be an idiot." The wolf's scornful tone showed his disdain for the fox before him, but Nick didn't let that get to him. The fox pressed the stolen blade against the soldier's throat, to get his attention more than anything.

"Oh, trust me, bright eyes. I have a plan. Now, be a good dog and fetch Colonel Biao for me. We need to have a _word._ "


	20. It Gets Worse

"Uh, boss?"Smith had just finished his sweep when his radio crackled to life. Since he was done anyway he turned to go back to the stairwell, the agreed upon rendezvous point. The gray fox brought up his radio while he jogged.

"Yes, Murdoc?" Smith's voice was light and expectant.

"You know how you're always saying I shouldn't rush into things?" The fox soldier didn't stop jogging, just turned to go in the wolf's direction. Obviously, something was up.

"Yes, Murdoc." His voice had grown exasperated.

"And you know how much you like saying 'I told you so'?" The fox rolled his eyes and started jogging a little faster.

" _Yes, Murdoc_." The answer came out strained and suspicious.

"Well, then, I have some good news and some bad news…"

* * *

Nick crouched behind Murdoc while the soldier kneeled. The fox was holding the machete to his captive's throat with one paw and had the wolf's assault rifle in the other. The deadly weapon was resting on Murdoc's shoulder while Nick looked down the sights across the room towards the only door leading in.

The fox had waited patiently while the soldier summoned his commanding officer, only a little annoyed the wolf didn't have a direct line to Biao. Hopefully this 'Smith' character could summon the feline that was partially responsible for ruining his life.

Nick heard a faint rustling. He concentrated, feeling the world around him slow and clarify. A bit of gray fur appeared from beyond the door frame. The fox took careful aim and fired. **BANG!**

* * *

" **GOD** _ **DAMN**_ **!** " Smith jerked his head back from the aborted attempt to glance into the room. He hissed, pressing his paw to the bleeding track of missing fur just above his left eyebrow. He waved down the tense B.A. and Face, who were waiting just a little down the hall they were all standing in.

"That was a warning shot! Next one goes in your eye!" Nick's voice came through the doorway. The gray fox leaned back against the wall next to the door and brought his paw down, glancing at the blood on his pads with annoyance. He dropped the paw to his side, focusing on the task at hand.

"Murdoc! You alive in there?" Smith's number one priority was his soldier. An uncomfortably long wait ensued. Just when the gray fox was really beginning to wonder, a yelp came forth.

"OW! My tail! What'd you do that for!?" Eyes the color of ash rolled in their sockets.

"You were making your CO uncomfortable. Please, leave that to me. Alright, you know he's alive. You want to keep him that way, get Colonel Biao in here, pronto!" Smith kept his composure through dint of long practice. Time to let this criminal know what kind of a situation he was really in.

"You know, threatening military personnel is pretty serious. If you stop this now, we could work out a deal. Only a couple years in prison, instead of the rest of your natural life!" Maybe he could resolve this now, without involving that hardass Biao. Something told him he wasn't an expert negotiator and his soldier's life was on the line.

"What's your name?" The response wasn't quite what he expected, but it would do.

"Colonel John Smith. Call me Hannibal. All my friends do." Establishing a relationship with the hostage taker was one of the best steps to dissolving the situation.

"Well, _Hannibal_ , the fact that you would offer me that deal shows me how _completely, intolerably_ ignorant you are of the situation. I won't deal with a moron, so get me Biao before I start getting creative with this big blade your wolf gave me!" Damn, Damn, _Damn!_ He knew that shifty tiger bastard was holding out on him! Smith, or rather, Hannibal closed his eyes and sighed. Perhaps kowtowing would work.

"No need to carve up my guy. I can get you what you need. I _am_ a colonel." Nick's scornful laugh was about the worst reply the gray fox could have received.

"Ha! _Really?_ _You_ have the authority to guarantee the safety of my companions?" Hannibal's ears perked up.

"Companions? You wouldn't happen to mean a couple little rabbits, would you?" Maybe there was hope after all.

"That's right. Susan and Kelly Hopps, along with their older sister, Judy. I want their freedom and safety." The gray fox was feeling some confusion. Did this guy think the military was here to _attack_ these civilians? Then his expression darkened. Biao had sent him into a really messed up situation without all the data. He was going to tear _strips_ off that guy!

"Listen, my squad's one goal was to extract the Hopps family from this place. You don't need to do all this! Give them to me and I _will_ guarantee their safety." Nick's angry huff could be heard through the door.

"You _still_ don't get it, Hannibal! Biao kidnapped us once already and I won't let my girl go through that again! Get him down here _now_ , or I am going to turn your boy into kibble!" The colonel grit his teeth, ears folding back. The _hell_ kind of a situation had that tiger gotten him into?

"Alright! Alright. I'll call Biao."

* * *

Twenty minutes later and the burly colonel in black himself stood in the hallway next to Hannibal. Face and B.A. were ordered to fall back for the duration. The big cat cleared his throat and announced himself.

"This is Colonel Biao." There was a pregnant pause.

"Well, it's about time. _Get in here_." The malice and fury in the red fox's voice was palpable.

"You know I can't do that. Not without something from you, first." The tiger's voice was rock steady.

"Let me guess. The wolf?" Nick's voice had cooled somewhat.

"That's right. You release him first, you can have me." Hannibal's ears perked up, intensely interested in the other fox's response.

"You think I'm an _idiot_ , Colonel? After everything you've put me through, you're going to be _insulting_ on top of that? _You_ come in first, _then_ the dog leaves. Final offer." His voice left no doubt the ultimatum was completely serious. Hannibal closed his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation. This pissing contest was going to get his soldier killed. Grey eyes snapped open when he heard footsteps, jaw dropping in surprise as he watched the tiger walk passed, heading through the door.

* * *

Nick had to hold back the urge to put a bullet in each of those cold hazel eyes when the colonel walked in.

" _Well_. If it isn't Captain Meow. I've been waiting for you." Nick stood straight, tossing the machete to the side so he could take the rifle in both paws. He kicked the kneeling wolf to the floor and took a few steps back, keeping his gun zeroed in on the tiger's face. Murdoc raised himself up slowly, looking to the colonel.

"Go on, soldier. Leave." The tiger's deep voice was as calm and steady as ever. The wolf nodded and walked out, throwing a scathing glare over his shoulder at the fox that humiliated him. Nick hardly noticed. Soon the two were alone.

"I'm surprised you came, being the heartless bastard that you are." If he was bothered by the insult, Biao certainly showed no sign.

"I take the lives of the soldiers in my command very seriously." Hackles rose at the response.

"And the rest of us can just go to hell. Is that the way it is? Citizens' lives have no meaning to you? 'You're a soldier or you're worthless'!?" Nick was shouting by the end of his tirade. The tiger's cool demeanor did not waver in the least.

"What happened to you was necessary. You could have spread-" Biao stopped when he saw the fox bristle in fury, fur on his tail sticking out, teeth bared in rage.

"YOUR FUCKING TRANQ ALMOST _KILLED_ JUDY! SHE SPENT TWO DAYS IN INTENSIVE CARE! Then, we were _tortured_ for a _week!_ What part of _any_ of that was _necessary!?_ " Nick raged at the burly tiger.

"The part where we proved you weren't going to spread an infectious disease to others. Would it have been any better if we ignored you and it turned out you were carrying a plague?" The big cat's voice was even and reasonable. The fox took a few deep breaths, getting his calm back.

" _Fine_. Let's talk about why you're _really_ here. I want to make a deal." Nick's face and voice were still angry, but he had himself back under control. The tiger's face didn't so much as twitch. Biao knew that was the case the moment he got the call.

"What deal?"

* * *

It was nearing seven in the evening and Police Chief Charlie Bogo was in his office, finishing up some requisition forms. When the phone rang, the big Cape buffalo looked at it askance. After a moment seriously contemplating ignoring the call, he reached out and grabbed the handset.

"Chief Bogo speaking." His voice was professional, if a little put out.

"Chief, it's Nick." The big mammal sat ramrod straight in his chair, then hunched over, as though to ward off any eavesdroppers.

"Wilde, you better have a _tremendous_ reason for calling this office." Even though his voice was low, the threat was clear.

"Listen Chief, I don't have a lot of time. I need you to meet Judy and her sisters at Downtown General Hospital. When you see them, or if they don't show up in an hour, call me back at this number. It's important." There was something in Nick's voice. Something Bogo had heard before. The burly chief of police leaned back in his chair, no longer bothering with trying to cover up the call. He closed his eyes and rubbed his brow with his free hoof.

"I take it I won't be seeing you there." There was no doubt in his voice, or in his heart. One of his finest officers was going away. For good.

"Sorry, Charlie. Someone has to go down for this. Might as well be me."

* * *

Nick closed the thick green military satellite phone and dropped it in his lap. He was sitting against the wall across from the door with the rifle propped up on one knee, making sure to keep it trained on Biao's face every second. The fox _was not_ going to let the tiger slip away without holding up his end of their bargain. Nick gave the colonel a nod.

"Medivac! Green light!" The tiger shouted immediately. He didn't even turn toward the door. Six soldiers, each with a bright blue band on both arms came jogging into the room. Three of them were carrying small red stretchers. Nick quirked a brow when he noticed the last medic was a large female hare. Big floppy ears and all. Huh, guess the military really was progressive.

The fox kept an eye on them as they passed, not entirely convinced that Biao wouldn't betray him. The medics went on their way without incident however. After a few tense minutes they returned in pairs, with the stretchers held between them. Nick watched as first the unconscious Kelly was carried passed, then Susie. Finally, Judy went by, arm done up in a temporary splint.

Time seemed to slow as their eyes met. Green on violet. Emerald on amethyst. Nick tried to express everything he felt for her with just that one look. It wasn't enough for Judy. The rabbit deftly undid the straps holding her and jumped off the stretcher, hitting the ground in a sprint. She made it to her fox in only a few steps, falling to her knees beside him and throwing her arms around his neck, heedless of the rifle across his knee.

" _I love you."_ Her voice was hoarse from crying, but that didn't diminish the emotion carried therein. Unable to help himself, Nick put his free arm around her and crushed her close. He closed his eyes and held his lips to her forehead for a long moment, desperately taking in the scent and feel of her fur. He finally gathered himself enough to put his eyes back on the room. Biao hadn't moved an inch, but the medics were approaching, obviously to take Judy. As the paws began to pull his love away, Nick managed to look into the eyes he loved so much, one last time.

"Dream about me?" His voice was thick and hopeful. Judy managed a tearful smile and a desperate nod.

"I will!"

* * *

The call came forty minutes later, according to the little clock on the satellite phone.

"Wilde. They're here. I have them." Nick let out a relieved sigh. He closed his eyes and nodded, even though Bogo couldn't see.

"Thank you, Chief. One more thing?" Nick's voice nearly cracked, knowing this was probably his last chance to send a message to the one he loved most in the world.

"What is it?" The somber tone revealed that Bogo probably knew that, too.

"Tell Judy that this wasn't her fault." The fox closed the big phone, ending the call. Nick kept his rifle trained Biao as he stood, dropping the phone so he could hold the gun with both paws. He walked across the room, the sights on the burly tiger every step of the way, until he stood right in front him. The colonel's cold hazel eyes bore into Nick's green. The fox sighed and took his digit off the trigger, holding the gun out for Biao to take. The tiger did so and nodded.

"You're a better mammal than I thought." The fox was surprised by the compliment. He smiled sardonically at the big cat.

"Same to-"

* * *

Nick woke lying on his back in the back of a windowless van. A bump in the road brought an unexpected stab of pain and he hissed in annoyance. That _damn_ cat. His attempt to reach up to rub his sore head was interrupted by something. A glance down showed that he was shackled, with a chain running from his cuffs to a thick metal ring welded into the wall. A further look down revealed his ankles were done up the same way. It also showed a soldier sitting on a bench built into the wall. He had a pistol in his lap and it was pointed straight at Nick.

The fox held up his paws in surrender, then slowly sat up. The bench actually ran along all three walls, only terminating when they met the doors. Nick, careful to be as non-threatening as possible, pulled himself up on the bench just below the mount his chain was attached to. This gave him enough slack to raise his paws up and rub his forehead. At least there wasn't a bump. He also noticed that the harness and collar Red Eyes had fitted him with were gone. Nick dropped his paws to his lap and looked back to the soldier guarding him. To his surprise he realised it was a fox. Nick noticed a bandage just above the left eyebrow and knew who it was instantly.

"Hello, Hannibal. How's the head wound treating you?" The red fox's usual lazy smile spread across his muzzle. Smith's answering smile was just as easy-going as Nick's, if just a tad annoyed.

"Oh, it's not a problem. I've had much worse than this. Although, it _will_ be my first facial scar. Thanks for that." The gray fox's voice only had a barely detectable hint of sarcasm. Nick, glad that his companion was being sociable, shrugged his soldiers.

"Your welcome. The ladies love a good scar." He reached up and flicked his right ear. The gunshot wound had healed at the edges, leaving a permanent hole ringed in pale scar tissue at the base of his ear. The colonel glanced at the mark, then back to Nick's face.

"Speaking of ladies. Congratulations on getting your girl out. That was a ballsy stunt you pulled. Took guts." The gray furred commando's voice was completely genuine. He didn't care for the fact it was his soldier that was used, but he could appreciate the desperate measures taken by someone trying to protect the ones they love. Nick's smile dimmed at the mention of Judy. He looked away from the colonel and stared at the floor.

"Thanks. I don't think anyone's told me I had guts before." The fox's thanks was genuine, even though his voice seemed void of emotion. Smith observed the forlorn prisoner carefully. Things weren't adding up. He had seen his share of bad guys, from terrorists to spies to war criminals. This guy didn't look like any of them. Then he remembered the wound on his brow and realised there was more to this fox than there seemed.

"Where did you train, son?" Nick glanced up from where he had leaned down, elbows on his knees. He raised a brow at the unexpected question.

"Zootopia Police Academy." His answer was open and honest, though his voice was a tad confused. The colonel lifted his own brows, ignoring the slight sting that caused as completely inconsequential.

"I guess you trained as a SWAT sniper." Nick grinned and shook his head.

"You're talking about that love tap I gave you. Hannibal, that was the first time I ever handled an assault rifle. The academy courses only covered small arms and I haven't used a gun since training." Nick's smile widened at the gray fox's flabbergasted look.

"You mean to tell me you shot at me without any prior training!? This was a fluke!?" He reached up and tapped the bandage on his head. Nick's smile dimmed again and he shook his head.

"No. Not a fluke. I meant to give you that exact wound on that exact spot. Don't ask me how I knew I could do it. You wouldn't believe me anyway." The colonel took in his captive's face. It was completely serious.

"Why don't you tell me anyway. I'll decide if I don't believe you." Nick leaned back, taking in the colonel's face. Something occurred to him and his eyebrows rose.

"Biao doesn't know you're in here, does he?" It was more a statement than a question. Smith smiled a tight, cocky smile.

"Try to give me some credit. My entire career I've been in Special Forces. I know how to be where I'm not wanted. Now, tell me how you knew you could shoot me without killing me."

* * *

It took nearly an hour to relay the entire story. Before today, Smith wouldn't have believed any of it, but he had seen those Hunters himself down in that lab. Those mutant freaks were all the evidence he could need. The gray fox sighed and dropped his head into his free paw. So, the government he had sworn to protect saw fit to persecute two mammals victimized by a mad animal. God, he hated these Black Ops types. Always making him wonder if it was worth being in the military. Putting his doubts to the side, he raised his head and looked back to his prisoner. Nick sat quietly, watching him, waiting for his reaction to the outlandish story. The colonel licked his lips.

"I believe you." Nick's expression brightened and he opened his mouth to say something.

" _ **OOOOOOHHH!**_ " Both foxes jumped in surprise, glancing around reflexively. Almost before the unnaturally loud and deep howl had ended the rapid pops of automatic gunfire sounded out, muffled by the metal walls of the van. A loud crash came from somewhere in front of them and the van came to an immediate halt. The foxes looked at each other, eyes showing that they both had the same premonition. Then they were slammed against the wall as the van was thrown off its wheels.

* * *

Red Eyes had been in such a rush to escape, thinking of his own safety above everything else, that he had only brought what he could grab on his way out the door. So he called his favorite minion and ordered her to get his latest experiment back, even thoughtfully gave the arctic fox permission to use whatever resources she deemed necessary. The opportunity to use some of the more _successful_ experiments had been too much to pass up, so she picked all of her favorites. The three biggest ranged from five to ten _tons_ , with a couple dozen smaller monsters ranging from one to five thousand pounds.

They had waited in ambush on the outskirts of town, watching the road that had been designated for the military's personal use and the one most likely to be used by a big convoy carrying everything seized from the labs. The most likely one had shown up around one a.m. At a dozen vehicles, four gun trucks and eight transports, it was three times the size of any group that had passed since the ambush was set up.

Inga blew into a whistle, alerting all of the beasts to attack. The biggest, with tusks that gave away that it used to be an elephant, howled (A sound no elephant could make), jumping out of the thick greenery on the side of the road. It ignored the panicked fire from the soldiers and rammed the gun truck leading the convoy so hard the vehicle was torn in two, scrap metal and broken bodies scattering across the pavement. All of the following vehicles came to a screeching halt. There was a small transport truck behind the lead vehicle and with one swing of it's massive tusks the not-an-elephant-anymore threw it right off the road into the trees. All of the other beasts jumped from hiding and attacked, filling the air with howls, yowls, screaming and gunfire.

* * *

The transport truck that had been thrown off the road rolled twice and slammed roof-first into a sturdy tree, coming to rest on its side.

Inside, Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith was coming to. The first thing the aged soldier noticed was that he was in an outrageously uncomfortable position, laying upside down against a wall, legs in the air and weight resting across his back, shoulders and neck. He groaned and pushed away from the wall, slumping down on his side. The fox blinked the spots from his eyes and raised his head. He spotted his service pistol resting on the floor (or was it the wall?) and reached out for it. His heart rate jumped when a dark red furred paw snatched it from his reach. Thinking he had been betrayed, the gray fox's gaze jumped to Nick, only for dark gray eyes to widen in surprise. The crazy red fox was _disassembling_ his weapon!

"Nick! The _hell_ are you doing!?" His voice was truly outraged. The prisoner ignored him, continuing to strip the weapon at an impressive speed. Nick found what he was looking for and snatched a spring from the mess of parts. With quick, precise movements that spoke of frequent practice the fox picked the cuffs around his wrists and ankles.

Hannibal, now that he knew he wasn't about to be shot, slowly got to his feet, grimacing all the while. He could whoop any upstart half his age without breaking a sweat, but _damn_ if he wasn't getting too old to get thrown around like this. Something came flying at his face and the gray fox reflexively caught it. Eyebrows rose as the colonel recognized his pistol, completely rebuilt. He looked passed the piece towards Nick, who was already crouched by the doors, which had been smashed open in the crash.

After a moment to make sure the coast was clear, Nick ducked under the hanging door and out into the night. He ignored the cacophony coming from the road and ran to the driver's cabin. The fox paused at the sight of the zebra driver lying half way out of the smashed windshield. His neck was obviously broken, head turned at an unnatural angle. Nick tried to ignore the dead soldier's bloody, wide eyed stare and pushed on. The fox stepped over the corpse into the cab, emerging a few moments later carrying an assault rifle. He found Hannibal waiting for him.

"You have any idea what you're doing?" The colonel's voice was more curious than disbelieving. Nick looked at him seriously.

"I was thinking about fleeing for my life and using _this,_ " Nick hefted the gun he was holding. "To kill any of those freaks that catch up. What do you think? Sound like a plan?" Nick's voice was only slightly sarcastic. He was actually pretty interested in anything his companion, the experienced combat veteran, might have to add. The older fox just nodded sagely.

"That sounds like a solid plan. Only thing missing is a radio. Here." Without hesitation the gray fox crouched down and frisked the corpse. In short order he had a hand held radio, as well as a clip of ammo for the rifle. Seeing as Nick's jumpsuit didn't have pockets, the soldier stored both items in his combat vest. The colonel turned as he stood and took off into the woods, Nick following close behind. Within moments they had disappeared into the night.


	21. Flight of the Foxes

The huge mutated mammals fell on the convoy like a tsunami, sudden and terrible. Small caliber rounds didn't seem to affect them, and the mounted guns didn't have a chance to orient on the them before the impossibly fast monsters had pounced, landing on the trucks and tearing the gunners apart. Those inside the vehicles were not much safer, as windows were smashed and doors ripped off their mounts by the Hunters' monstrous strength, exposing the hapless soldiers inside.

Wearing the black fatigues she preferred while doing dirty work, Inga Volpe giggled and gasped in delight as she rode her three thousand pound mutant thylacine through the chaos. Just ahead of her a lion jumped from his transport truck, completely focused in the wrong direction. With just a tap on the shoulder as a signal, Inga's mount leapt forward twenty feet and landed just behind the distracted cat. Quick as a viper, the huge, long, narrow jaws clamped around the soldier's middle. Blood splattered the ground, the unfortunate victim screaming in surprise and agony as he was lifted into the air by the monstrous maw. With a shake of its huge head the thylacine bit through the poor soul, cleaving him in two. The separate halves flew apart to land on the pavement with meaty thuds while the white furred vixen clapped her paws and laughed at the gory display.

"Very _good,_ Killer! Who's momma's best? It's _you!_ " Inga spoke to the monstrosity like it was a pet, reaching forward to pat the beast's meaty shoulder. The monster snorted, indifferent to his owner's praise. The white fox sat up in the saddle her red eyed benefactor had provided (Inga would never know why he seemed to enjoy showering gifts on his 'Pet', but, like any good fox, she was perfectly willing to take advantage) and looked around. There were still a few survivors holding out in the vehicles, but she was confident that her vicious minions would take care of them momentarily.

Knowing that reinforcements would be there soon, she directed her mount to the back of the convoy, using Killer's tremendous strength to tear the doors off of the last transport in line. Not finding what she was looking for, the crazy fox moved on to the next, then the next. Her frustration grew as each failed to produce what she was looking for. After checking all of the trucks on the road Inga was ready to throw a fit. Where was he!?

Knowing she was out of time, the vixen raised a whistle from where it hung around her neck and blew into it. The beasts scattered into the woods, but she didn't worry about them running off. They would all return to base eventually. Inga turned her ride to make good on her own escape, muttering to herself irately.

"Unbelievable! Seven trucks and-! Wait. Seven?" The white fox stopped her mount before it could get entirely off the road, twisting in the saddle to take a look at the convoy as a whole. She carefully counted the transports, mismatched eyes widening as she realized something. One was missing! It occurred to her then that one had been thrown off the road, right at the beginning of the ambush.

Pulling on the reins, Inga directed her mount down the road towards the front of the caravan, where sharp eyes spotted some disturbed brush. Within moments Inga had located the crashed vehicle, jumping from her saddle and going into the mangled wreck. Spotting something, she knelt down and grabbed a set of manacles. The crazy fox brought them to her nose and took a deep breath, smiling as she recognized the scent of a male red fox, drenched in rabbit's blood. Mismatched eyes sparkled as she spoke in a sing-song voice.

" _Found you~!_ "

* * *

Nick and Hannibal were running through the dense, dark woods, using their innate night vision to avoid obstacles like brush and low hanging branches.

"Hannibal, you know where we're going?" A few minutes had passed since they left the truck, and now Nick was starting to wonder if they had a heading. He tried to keep his voice down, as they weren't _that_ far from the ambush and the dozens of monsters that had perpetrated it. No need to attract attention unnecessarily.

"Downhill." The aged soldier did not turn to his companion to answer, instead focusing entirely on the woods ahead. Getting eaten by mutants because he tripped over a root and broke an ankle would be an embarrassing way to end his career! Nick rolled his eyes at the answer.

"I know _that. Why_ are we running down hill?" Now it was Hannibal's turn to roll his eyes. Couldn't this guy just focus on saving his breath?

"Because downhill leads to the river." The gray fox's voice was the same as before, but Nick detected just a hint of annoyance. Rather than pester his companion, he decided to puzzle out why they would want to move towards a river. After a few moments of running in silence the most likely answer came to him.

"You want follow the river back to Zootopia?" Nick sounded a little hopeful. If they returned to the city, there was chance he might see Judy. Even while running for his life, the thought made him warm inside.

"That's right." Hannibal stated matter-of-factly. Nick, satisfied that there _was_ a plan, fell silent.

The two ran for a few minutes more, the gentle slope of the forest floor gradually increasing. Hannibal raised a paw suddenly, signaling a stop. He turned to find Nick was already looking back the way they came, ears pert and intent.

"You heard it?" The soldier's voice came softly, just loud enough to be understood. Nick nodded mutely, still focused on the trees. The sound of branches snapping and cracking was coming from afar. They both scanned the dark woods, a feeling of unease settling over them. The noise was getting louder and it was becoming obvious that something big was coming towards them. Hannibal cuffed Nick's shoulder to get his attention.

"C'mon. Standing out in the open won't help. We need to find cover!" The gray fox turned away, but paused when he noticed his companion didn't move to follow. He turned angrily back to the red fox, ready to grab him by the scruff if he had to. The soldier paused when Nick looked to him and shook his head.

"I don't think any cover we can find in the next thirty seconds is going to help us against one of these things. Let me try to kill it." Nick's voice was resolute, if not particularly confident. Hannibal's retort died on his lips when the red fox raised a paw and tapped a digit to his temple, clearly indicating his eyes. The reminder of what those eyes could do brought the veteran up short. Maybe letting the kid handle it was the best way. The gray fox nodded, locking eyes with his younger counterpart, communicating with his gaze how much trust he was putting in the red fox. When Nick nodded his understanding the older fox turned away, taking cover behind the nearest tree.

Nick faced towards where the racket was coming from and raised his rifle from where it hung by a strap over his shoulder. A green eye looked down the sights, the world brightening and resolving as he concentrated. Time seeming to slow, seconds ticking by, feeling like hours. Finally, his unnaturally sharp eyes spotted movement. A huge, hairless head appeared, the mutant leaping over some brush. It resembled a wolf with a freakishly long snout.

 **BANG!** Nick's first shot hit it squarely between the eyes. The beast's momentum kept it going forward, but Nick waited to see if that bullet did the trick. As the beast came more fully into view, the red fox was shocked to see that it had a passenger. Fury spread through his system like an electric shock when he recognized Inga Volpe, the one responsible for attacking Judy's family and directly responsible for the death of many of her siblings and their father, Stu Hopps.

 **BANG!** A slug slammed right into the arctic fox's sternum. He watched in slow motion as Inga's mismatched eyes widened in surprise and her paws loosened their grip on the reins. The mutant steed finally landed, the shock sending the white furred vixen flying from her saddle to land in the thick carpet of dead leaves on the forest floor. Apparently unaffected by the bullet lodged in its skull, the thylacine continued to charge forward. Nick reoriented his sights, looking for weaknesses in the rampaging beast. He found two.

 **BANG!** The beast's right eye burst, drops of blood and ichor flying out of the ruined orb. The bullet exited the side of the monster's face, just below the ear. As the mutant reflexively turned its head away, Nick lined up the final shot.

 **BANG!** The left eye exploded, but this time there was no exit wound. The bullet's trajectory changed when the monster turned its head and this time the round punched through the back of the eye socket and into the brain. The thylacine's momentum carried it nearly thirty feet before it crashed to the ground, where it thrashed violently. Nick watched it carefully, wanting to be sure that it really was put down. As the beast's death throes started to slow, the fox looked back to where Inga had fallen.

Nick's eyes widened and his ears flattened as he discovered the arctic vixen was no longer there.

* * *

Inga gulped and gasped as she sat against a big, old tree, pressing a paw to the bloody wound in her chest. She was using the tree's thick trunk to hide from that damnable red fox. She grit her teeth in fury as the lack of screaming told her what had probably happened to her beloved Killer. Her other paw raised the whistle hanging around neck to her lips and she took a deep, agonizing breath.

* * *

Nick was stomping towards where Inga had disappeared, determined not to let the vixen get away, when he suddenly stumbled and fell to his knees. His face twisted into a grimace, eyes clenched shut and paws dropped his gun to clamp his ears to his head, desperately trying to block out the piercing whistle. The note made his skull ring and it felt like his brains were trying to dribble out of his nose. When it finally stopped Nick's body slackened and he barely caught himself, shoving one paw into the dead leaves just before he would have face planted. He hardly had any time to collect himself before Hannibal was there, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to his feet.

"You alright, son?" Nick barely had time to nod before the forest came alive with the sounds of many distant, terrible howls. The soldier didn't waste any time, immediately turning to face down hill again, pulling the protesting younger fox along.

"Wait! That other fox, she was the one that attacked Judy's family! I can't let her get away!" Nick tried to pull away, but Hannibal wasn't having it.

"You heard those things same as me! If we don't get out of here _now,_ we will _die!_ You think your girl will feel better if you kill yourself!?" Nick grit his teeth, hating the logic and unable to refute it. He snatched his arm from the soldier's grip, but he didn't turn back. Instead he ran beside him, letting the veteran lead him again through the dark woods.

Being chased by giant mutants was about as good a motivator as one could find, so the two made good time for several minutes. The slope they had been running down gradually got steeper and footing was starting to get tricky, slowing them down. The sound of of paws rapidly hitting the ground came from behind and both foxes glanced over their shoulders to spot another mutant. This one obviously used to be a big cat, probably a cheetah if its unbelievable speed was anything to go by.

Nick tried to stop and turn at the same time, paws going for the assault rifle still hanging on his hip, but his heel caught a root hidden in the leaves. The red fox was thrown off his feet, breath knocked out as he hit the ground and went tumbling down the hill. Hannibal tried to grab the flailing fox's paw as he passed, but the veteran was forced to dive to the side. Claws swiped through where the gray fox had just been, the speedy mutant having already gotten within pouncing range. The monster over-shot the two foxes, flying down the slope. It landed nearly forty feet away, claws tearing through the earth to gain traction.

Nick managed to dig his paws into the leaves and dirt, bringing himself to a halt on his front. The gun's strap was caught under his arm, with the gun itself sliding to a rest in front of his face. The fox lunged for his weapon and flipped over, bringing his sights to bear just as the giant, hairless cat regained its footing. Two quick shots destroyed its eyes and the creature, blinded, fell to the forest floor, clawing at its face and roaring furiously.

"Nick! Let's go!" The red fox glanced over and spotted Hannibal already running down the slope, angled away to avoid the thrashing mutant feline. Nick jumped from where he still lay on the ground, chasing after the gray fox faster than was probably wise, considering how easy it was to trip on the stones and roots hidden in the leaves.

Soon the crippled mutant was behind them, but its yowling was still easily heard. Two minutes later the foxes both flinched when they heard more mutants howling. Then something changed, the now familiar roaring of the blinded cheetah went up in pitch and volume. As the creature's screams echoed across the forest, the two glanced uneasily at each other as they ran.

"Are they…eating it?" Nick wondered aloud. Hannibal nodded grimly from where he ran just ahead.

"Its a good strategy for that mad scientist guy. No body, no evidence." The gray fox spoke frankly, not afraid to point out a good idea on the enemy's part, even if it _was_ grotesque. The two focused on running, trying to ignore the monstrous sounds coming from behind. After a few seconds the screaming was cut off and the silence that followed was almost deafening. Moments later they both noticed a rushing sound. The two came to a halt at a ledge, the ground falling away steeply for about forty feet. Nick nearly jumped forward when he spotted water through the few trees hanging on to the steep shore, but Hannibal shot out a paw and caught his arm.

"Wait. We can't run through that and swimming will take too long. This way!" The gray fox turned left and took off, running parallel to the ledge that ran down to the river, the red fox only a few steps behind. Thirty seconds later they heard a mighty splash. Both turned their heads to spot a mutant floating in the river, thrashing as it was carried by the powerful current. Almost automatically, Nick raised his rifle and put a bullet in the creature's eye. It sank below the surface a few seconds later. Hannibal glanced back at Nick, giving the younger fox an approving nod.

Nick noticed the grey eyes slide passed him. The red fox looked over his shoulder, spotting what Hannibal noticed immediately. There was another mutant. Long and slender, it had a whiplike tail covered in bony spikes. It didn't rush towards the fleeing foxes, instead running parallel to them, careful to keep some trees or brush between them as cover.

Like that would save it. Nick hefted his gun, prepared to snipe out the beast's eyes as soon as they appeared passed the next tree. Focusing on his gun instead of running slowed him down, creating an opportunity for the creature. With an audible _**crack!**_ it whipped its tail towards the trailing vulpine, unleashing three deadly thorns. At almost the same instant Nick fired his rifle, putting out the creature's eye. The fox was so focused on the beast that, even though he saw them, the bony barbs don't register until they are already within a few yards of him.

Focusing on the barbs, his amazing eyes tell him exactly where they will hit and when. Unable to bring his gun to bear in time, the fox moved to mitigate the damage. He tilted his head back, the first spike brushing against the fur on his cheek as it passed. He moved his leading leg down, but the second bony stake still tore open a gash along the front of his thigh. There was nothing Nick could do about the third oversized thorn.

Above them, the whip-tailed mutant, distracted by its wound, crashed head on into a tree. The terrible crunching sound as its skull met the bark could have been bone or wood. Either way, it went down and didn't get back up.

Hannibal watched, unable to react in time, as a sizable spike lodged itself in his companion's side, just above the hip. The red fox stumbled and fell, sliding to a halt on his front. The soldier stopped, immediately turning to run to his ally. As he crouched down, Nick turned on his side with a gasp, paw already wrapped around the inch-and-a-half diameter bone shard sticking into his side.

"Don't pull it out! You'll bleed to death." The veteran pulled away Nick's paw as gently as possible, then looked closely at the wound. Blood oozed up around the ivory spike, but not fast enough to be a problem, as long as it got looked at in the next few hours.

Hannibal's head snapped up as the sound of pounding feet came from behind. Experienced eyes zeroed in on a mutant running towards them, a canine snout drawn into a fearsome snarl. The veteran's pistol appeared in his grip so quickly that an inexperienced observer would have sworn the gun jumped to his paw. Knowing from watching Nick that accuracy was key, the fox held the piece with both paws, took his time, lined up the shot perfectly.

 **BANG!** Both of the beast's eyes burst and it dipped sharply to the right, sending it down the steep slope and into the river, where it would thrash until it drowned. Hannibal glanced down at Nick just as he collapsed back to the dirt with a gasp, rifle dropping to his lap. The older fox crouched by his companion.

"You can still do that voodoo?" Rather than sounding surprised, the veteran's voice was impressed. It took more gumption than most mammals had to keep fighting while they had a piece of shrapnel as thick as their wrist lodged halfway through their guts. Nick managed a shaky nod and a smile.

"Y-you bet." The fox managed to croak. Hannibal smiled reassuringly.

"Shut up, Kid. You need to save your strength. I'll carry you, you shoot those bastards, alright? Now, this next part is going to hurt." Nick discovered that the soldier was not kidding _at all._ The older fox grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, the younger fox hollering as he was pulled across Hannibal's shoulders into a fireman's carry.

The gray fox started to jog, extra careful of his footing now that a tumble could mean the death of his companion. It took Nick several long, agonizing seconds to adjust to his new position, but he managed. His head rose from where it rested against the other fox's arm, green eyes squinting as he looked for his gun. He spotted it where it hung from its strap, bumping into Hannibal's back just above his tail as he moved. An entirely involuntary whine escaped as he stretched out his free paw to grab it, feeling like someone twisted the huge bone shard in his side. Nick let the gun hang in his grip as he raised his head to scan the woods behind them as the gray fox carried them.

The pair moved through the woods for a few minutes without sight or sound of the mutants. Hannibal noticed the current of the river next to them was picking up, going from swift to nearly roaring. Before he had a chance to worry about why that might be he felt his passenger stiffen, body shifting as he raised the rifle in one arm.

Even though it was awkward to do while being carried, Nick managed to look down his sights. Three canine mutants, all fairly similar in size and shape were running towards the foxes in a single file line. Green eyes dilated as he forced himself to focus through the pain. The fox found it to be easier than expected, though it did take longer than before to line up the shot.

 **BANG! BANG!** The lead dog's eyes burst. It tried to skid to a halt, but the ones following crashed into it. The blinded mutant, confused and enraged, snapped at what it thought to be an attack, sinking huge fangs into its companion. The three monsters quickly began to tear each other apart, their fragile alliance shattered by the sight and smell of blood. Nick smirked at the sight.

"Heh. Still got it." His voice was tight from the pain, but there was no masking his satisfaction. He was getting pretty good at this! Except for the whole getting stabbed thing. That still sucked.

Hannibal didn't waste time with checking behind him, trusting his companion to cover them while he took them to safety. Just ahead he saw concrete through the trees. Maybe it was a park station? They might have a truck! The gray fox picked up the speed, moving as fast as he could without jostling his injured passenger too much.

The trees ended abruptly, revealing a hydroelectric dam laid out before them. Spotting a service ramp, Hannibal hurried over it. Now that he was on the dam itself, he could see the other side of the river. The gray fox smiled when he saw a dirt road leading up to the dam. Maybe they could find a vehicle after all?

Nick stiffened again, but Hannibal tried to ignore it. The red fox probably spotted another mutant. Nothing he couldn't handle. Then the paw on the arm he was holding started tapping his chest, urgently.

"Hannibal, this one's different, this one doesn't have any eyes!" There was no denying the note of alarm in the fox's voice. Hannibal turned around to see the biggest mutant they had encountered since their flight through the woods began. At least five thousand pounds, it had the body and head of a bear, but the nose was shockingly strange. It had over twenty fleshy tentacles ringing around the nostrils. The gray fox distantly recognized that they were very similar to the star-nosed mole. He also noted that where eye sockets should have been, there were only masses of thick scar tissue.

The creature was standing where they exited the woods, nose to the ground, sniffing furiously. It picked its head up and began to sprint after them, surprisingly quick for its immense size. Hannibal turned away and began running across the dam.

"Shoot the nose! That might blind it!" The gray fox ordered. Nick obliged, unloading five rounds into the red, fleshy snout. The creature shook its head and roared, but it did not slow down. Five more rounds had the same result.

"Its not working!" Panic was creeping into Nick's tone and Hannibal couldn't blame him. Their ability to blind their attackers had been the only thing keeping them ahead. Now that one of these freaks couldn't be blinded, they were in _serious_ trouble.

"Try other weak spots! The face, the throat, anything!" Nick unloaded a round into each scarred socket, hoping to kill it like he had that first monster. It didn't seem like it even noticed. Next, he tried shooting several bullets into the same socket. Still nothing. Next he landed four shots in the same hole in the center of its forehead. No results. He tried to land a round in the ear canal, but when he pulled the trigger, there was only a _click!_

"Ammo!" Nick called urgently. Hannibal shifted Nick a bit to make it a one armed fireman's carry, using his freed paw to fish the spare magazine from his vest.

"Make it count! That's all we have!" The gray fox's voice was no less urgent than Nick's. The red fox struggled a moment with putting the mag in with only one paw. When he finally managed to get it in and raised his gun again the star nosed mutant bear was within fifty feet. Nick started looking for other solutions, green eyes drawn to the edge of the dam. He remembered Cliffside Asylum.

"Hannibal! Jump!" The gray fox was confused for a moment, but then he realised what Nick was asking.

"Are you _crazy!?_ It's sui-!" Hannibal's denial was cut off.

"Jump or get mauled to death! Your choice!" Nick was hoping the gray fox chose _soon_ because that bear/mole thing was almost-!

"AAAHH!" Hannibal turned sharply left and dove under the tall railing. They seemed to fly over the vast, empty space before gravity took hold, drawing them down, down, _down,_ where the two foxes disappeared into the frothy white water at the base of the dam.


	22. Mostly Just Words

Judy Hopps sat in a chair next to a bed in a hospital recovery room, staring at a wall. Dark circles were under her eyes, evidence of her lack of sleep. Her fur had lost some of its healthy gloss as well, becoming dull and flat. Even her face, usually so vivid in its expression, was totally blank. She was clothed in dark red scrubs and had a green cast on her right forearm.

A small body shifted next to her, drawing her tired gaze down to the little gray rabbit sleeping against her, also clad in dark red scrubs. As her paw came up to rub her sibling's head, Judy wondered briefly why she had let Susan stay with her at the hospital. She should have sent her away to her family in the Burrows, but she couldn't. It had been one of Nick's last requests to her, to take care of the girls. The thought of sending either away felt like a betrayal. The thought also made her look to the bed.

Kelly lay there, looking very small and frail, especially with all of the wires and tubes attached to her arms and neck. She still hadn't woken, but all of the doctors had assured Judy that the brown furred bunny was responding well to the treatments. They were keeping her under until the swelling caused by her head injury had completely gone away. Still, her prognosis was good. The tawny rabbit _would_ wake up soon, likely in the next few days.

Judy watched the comatose bunny for a few minutes, taking comfort in the slight rise and fall of her chest. But, as was becoming usual, as soon as she felt even slightly better than absolutely _crushed_ , she recalled what had been lost to get them here. Or rather, who.

Mom. Reece. _Nick._ Violet eyes clenched shut, trying and failing to hold back tears. It had been three days since he disappeared. Three days since the red fox's sacrifice.

Judy tortured herself with what might be happening to her love while he was in the clutches of the government. Memories of the awful things they went through together in the secret testing facility brought her actual, physical pain. Then her imagination combined those with what she had seen down in the hidden lab.

Visions of unimaginable experiments ran rampant through her mind. Serums of unknown purpose injected into his blood, twisting his body into something monstrous, his mind wiped away by the pain. Forced to fight other experiments until he could take no more. His corpse chopped up and preserved for further study. His head floating in a jar.

The final image proved to be too much. Judy leapt from her chair and dove for the trashcan by the bed, throwing up everything she had for lunch. It wasn't much.

Susie sat up from where she had slumped over in the chair, rubbing one eye with a balled up paw. After a moment she dropped her paw to her lap and leaned forward, quietly observing her elder sister as she kneeled over the metal garbage bin, shaking and sobbing. Quiet as a mouse, the small bunny slid from her chair. Padding over until she stood next to her distraught kin, the girl leaned in and hugged Judy as best she could, offering all the comfort she knew how to give.

The older rabbit flinched at the contact, but the reminder that there was someone who needed her gave Judy the strength to pull herself together. She leaned away from the trashcan, taking her sister with her as she sat on the floor. The older bunny took the youngster into her arms.

"He-hey, I'm sorry. Did I-Did I wake you?" Judy was still shaking, not entirely suppressed sobs breaking up her voice. Susie shook her head from where she had burrowed into her sister's front, arms wrapped tightly around her neck. She pulled back just enough to look her sister in the eye, identical shades of violet meeting.

"Are you sick?" The odor emanating from the trash can made the bunny's nose curl. Judy noticed and leaned forward to push the smelly bin away. Once she had settled back on the floor she looked to Susie's concerned face.

"I'm not sick. My-My stomach hurt, but I feel better now." Judy's voice was still shaky. The little girl tilted her head, giving her sister's face a dubious once over. Bloodshot, exhausted eyes and fur dulled by poor grooming and matted with tears. It was plain to see her guardian was _not_ alright.

"Why don't you get Nick back? Like you did with me and Kelly." Susie was totally frank, in the way only children could be. Judy gave a pained grimace, recalling the visit she had with Biao's assistant shortly after arriving at the hospital. The lynx made it very clear that Judy and the girls were restricted to their shared recovery room. If they left the room without permission, or if any one of them was found missing, the deal Nick sacrificed himself for would be off. Judy _and_ her sisters would be treated as enemies of the state, hunted down and shipped off to the same facility Nick went to.

The older bunny's eyes darted to the door. She couldn't see them, but she could hear the two soldiers outside of their room. There was also a jeep holding four more soldiers posted on the street nearest their window. The thought of going to rescue Nick had occurred to her before, of course. But, with Kelly still injured and all lines of communication cut off (Even Bogo had been escorted away shortly after their arrival), Judy could not be sure of her siblings' safety. How to explain that to an eight year old?

Judy sat up straighter, putting her paws on Susie's shoulders and looking her in the eye, expression serious.

"There's a… bad guy. In the army. His name is Colonel Biao. If I go get Nick, Biao is going to have his soldiers come after us. And Kelly has to stay here. I can't take care of her and if I leave Biao will take her away." Judy explained, voice finally steady again. She didn't want to scare her sister, but she needed to impress on her the gravity of the situation. Previously, she had told the younger bunny to just stay in the room with her and the little girl had complied easily, not wanting to be away from Judy after their harrowing ordeal. Susie's brow furrowed as she took in this information.

"But, but Nick is a good guy! Shouldn't the army help him? How can a bad guy be in the army? They're _supposed_ to fight bad guys!" At any _other_ time Judy would have smiled at how cute her sister was with that outraged expression. Not this time. The older bunny's expression fell as the little girl's objections reminded her how unjust this whole situation was. Judy pulled Susie in tight to her chest, pressing her face to the soft fur on her sister's head so she wouldn't see her cry.

"Oh, sweetie-" Judy's voice died away and she raised her head to look at the door, ears twitching. The guards' radios had given out a burst of static.

"Simmons, Ramsey, report." The one on the right raised his radio from his hip.

"Ramsey here, what's the sitch?" The other guard scoffed at how casually his partner addressed their CO.

"The ' _sitch', Ramsey,_ is you are about to have visitors. One of them is a colonel. You will treat him with the _utmost_ respect. You try to pull any of that shit like last time and I will have you on latrine duty for the rest of your _goddamn career._ Am I clear, _Private Ramsey!?_ " Judy had never heard whoever was on the other side of the radio, but their annoyance was palpable. The soldier gave a pained sigh before replying.

"Yes Sir, Lieutenant Spader. I understand."

"It's about time you understood _something._ The visitors have full access. Simmons, you have my permission to pistol whip Ramsey into _oblivion_ if he threatens to embarrass this platoon again." Lieutenant Spader, whoever he was, sounded completely serious. Simmons had to fight back a chuckle as he raised his radio to his mouth.

"Copy that, Lieutenant Spader. You can count on me." While he _did_ manage to suppress his laughter, there was no masking the amusement in Simmons' voice.

"What is it? Is the bad guy coming?" Susie's fretful voice caught her sister's attention. Judy glanced down at the little bunny in her arms, who was staring fearfully at the door. The girl was trembling, pressing herself into her sister's chest as though to hide. Shame bloomed in Judy's chest as she realised how much her distraction had distressed her sister.

"It's alright. We're just going to get a visitor. Nothing to be afraid of." Hopefully. Judy soothed the bunny, rubbing her back to calm her. With mild effort the older bunny stood, carrying Susie the few steps to the chair they had previously occupied. Judy set her miniature look-a-like down and took a minute to calm her, rubbing the the girl's arms and reassuring her in her gentlest voice.

Satisfied her sister was going to be fine, Judy set about preparing for whoever was coming. She knew she looked like a mess and she didn't want her captors to see that. Like Nick said: 'Never let them see that they get to you.' After dropping off the smelly garbage can in the bathroom, she washed her face in the sink. An inspection in the mirror revealed an exhausted bunny with bags under her eyes. Judy thought that she looked as good as could be expected without having any restful sleep in three days.

As she returned to the seat she shared with Susie, the sharp-eared rabbit turned her attention back to the guards.

"~posed to know Cooper had shaken that beer?" Ramsey was speaking, voice low and flustered.

"Maybe 'cause you call him 'Waffle-Face'?" Simmons' voice was also low. The two were arguing quietly. Well, quietly for anyone who didn't have mutagen enhanced super-hearing.

"He is waffle-faced!"

"He's a _burn-victim_ you asshole!"

"Hey, he said he was cool-" Judy decided to tune them out, as obviously they weren't saying anything useful. As she settled into the chair next to Susie, the gifted rabbit opened up her hearing, listening to the hospital as a whole. Nothing stood out as unusual. Just the same hustle and bustle that she had grown used to. She couldn't even follow the unusual sound of mammal's walking in combat boots, as thirty five soldiers had been assigned to guard and patrol the hospital the morning after the Hopps sisters' arrival.

As hard as she was concentrating, the sound of the elevator chiming down the hall was almost obnoxiously loud. Focusing on the passengers that arrived on her floor, she noticed two were wearing combat boots while walking towards her room. With how quiet their footfalls were, neither could have weighed more than a hundred pounds. Judy almost sagged with relief. At least it couldn't be Biao.

"Shut up. Colonels here." Simmons also noticed their approaching guests. The sudden sound of booted feet stomping the tiled floor and the sharp rustle of fabric echoed down the hall. Judy knew from recent experience that this was the sound of a soldier saluting in a hospital.

"Sir!" Ramsey and Simmons' voice came in sync. The visitors had arrived. Judy stood from her chair and faced the door.

"At ease, gentlemen. I trust this is the vault?" Judy's ears twitched at the somewhat familiar voice. Where-?

"Yes, Sir!" Simmons' response distracted her, bringing her focus back to the conversation.

"We need to speak to the assets alone. Get a coffee." The colonel's clear dismissal made Judy's pulse pick up. Why did these two soldiers want to be alone with her and her sisters?

"Er, Sir, we weren't relieved-" Ramsey's uncomfortable response was cut off.

" _I_ am relieving you. You are _dismissed_. Or do I need to call your CO?" The unknown but familiar colonel's voice never rose above conversational. His glacial tone, however, could freeze tar.

"Of course not, Sir!" Simmons quick response was tinted with just a hint of fear. Simmons turned first, then Ramsey. Judy guessed from how close they were and a few annoyed grunts that Simmons was physically pushing Ramsey down the hall.

The rabbit tensed as she waited for the duo to enter. They were taking longer than she thought they would, apparently waiting for the guards to completely leave their sight.

"Alright. I'll wait out here. Come get me when you're done." Judy's entire body stiffened with fright. What could the colonel mean by that!? Was his silent companion some kind of cleaner? An agent sent by Biao to tie up loose ends?

The door handle began to turn. Judy fell into a fighting stance, paws up, shoulders squared, knees bent and feet spread. As the door swung open, Judy Hopps was prepared for anything.

"Hey there, Carrots. Fancy meeting you here."

Or, so she thought.

* * *

Nick smiled like an idiot as he took in Judy's shocked expression. He stepped into the room and closed the door, leaving Hannibal to wait in the hall. Seeing Judy frozen in place, the fox decided to try again.

"What, surprised to see-Don'thitmeI'm-!" A grey furred blur crashed into the tod's chest, sending him sprawling, sliding on the floor until his head was only a few inches from the door he had just walked through. Foxy ears fell back and green eyes widened as Nick looked up into fierce violet eyes. Judy was kneeling on his stomach, both paws fisted in the collar of his digital camo fatigues and wearing what might have been _the most furious expression he had ever seen_.

" _Nicholas Piberius Wilde!_ " Nick gulped. Judy had never used his full name before. " _Do you have_ **any** _idea what you put me through!?_ " The fox was mortified when hot, angry tears began spilling down Judy's face, wetting her fur. " _I thought you were being tortured!_ Or-or-or _experimented on!_ " Judy's voice was getting hoarse. Her eyes squeezed shut and her ears fell back. " _I thought I lost you! I-!_ I thought-!" The fury was gone. Anguish spread across her face, Nick's heart twisting painfully in response. "I thought I lost you…" The sheer _heartache_ packed into the final, quiet declaration hurt Nick more than all of her screaming combined. She collapsed into his chest, wetting his shirt with tears. The fox wrapped his arms around her slender frame. Seeing how badly Judy was hurting, he couldn't resist shedding a few tears himself.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Nick's voice was raw, his usual aloof tone wiped away. They spent a few minutes that way, lying on the floor and desperately taking comfort in eachother. Nick slowly sat up, making sure to keep his slender bunny wrapped tightly in his arms. Once he was sitting, the fox gently drew Judy back. A paw on her cheek raised her head so their gazes could meet. Nick didn't care at all that her eyes were bloodshot from crying. In that moment, they were the most beautiful in all the world. The fox leaned in, brought his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. Judy responded immediately, pressing herself into the kiss with all the enthusiasm she could muster through her physical and emotional exhaustion. The intimate contact was a balm to both their souls, healing their wounded hearts. They separated only when breath became an issue, but both regretted that it had to end.

Gasping slightly, Nick tilted his head forward so he could press his forehead to Judy's. Emeralds and amethysts met and connected. Shared in their gaze was everything they meant to say. Hopes, fears, apologies and promises were made without the need for words, their connection so deep it was like they were speaking soul to soul.

"Are you married?" Susie's voice rang across the room and just like that, the spell was broken. The duo closed their eyes, Judy in annoyance, Nick in amusement. The fox leaned back and huffed, the breath sounding more like a laugh then a sigh. Judy just leaned in to his chest again. She wanted to enjoy his warmth more than she wanted to explain her unusual relationship to her little sister.

Unexpectedly, Nick leaned forward to stand. He didn't release Judy though, scooping her up instead and carrying her with him across the room. Usually, the proud rabbit wouldn't have allowed herself to be carried like a child, but she let it go this one time. She wanted to be close to Nick and her pride wasn't going to get in the way.

Nick came to a stop next to the chair where Susie had been standing on the seat, watching their entire encounter from over the back rest. The fox gave her his best smile and put his free paw on her head, running his digits through the downy fur between her ears.

"What makes you think we're married, kiddo?" His voice was light and happy, still elated from being reunited with Judy. The little bunny furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Mom said you had to be married before you can kiss a boy." The honest reply made Nick's smile widen, green eyes glinting with amusement. He took the paw from the top of her head and wrapped it around Judy's shoulders instead, turning his head so he could speak into Judy's ear from where she had buried her face into his neck.

"What do you think, sweetheart? Want to get hitched?" His voice was half joking, half completely serious. Judy admitted, even if only to herself, that at that moment she found the thought tempting. She released a long sigh into the thick, cream colored fur on his throat.

"I think we should go on one _actual date_ before we get married. And I'm too tired for this. Don't want to talk about it." Judy's voice would have been petulant if it wasn't so weary. Nick winced a little, feeling guilty over how exhausted she obviously was. At least he had been able to get a good night's sleep, secure in the knowledge that Judy and her sisters were safe. The fox walked around the chair and sat, Susie walking to the side of the cushion to make room.

Once Nick was settled in with Judy in his lap, he found a curious set violet eyes staring up at him. Even sitting, he still towered over the adolescent bunny. Her steady gaze was starting to confuse the fox. Then he remembered she had asked a question.

"No, Susan. I am not married to your sister." Satisfied with the answer, she moved right on to the next question.

"Where were you?" Nick smiled slightly.

"Fighting monsters." Nick realised he should have thought of a better simplification when Judy started in his lap, leaning away from where she had almost fallen asleep against his chest. She looked up at him, eyes wide and afraid. He cut her off before she could speak. "I promise I will explain later. Right now you are too tired and emotional. You want a shouting match in front of your sisters?" Judy's teeth clicked together as she closed her mouth. She had been ready to tear into Nick for his attempt to blow her off, but a glance at the curious Susie was enough to convince her that he was right to put that conversation off. For now.

As Judy settled back into his chest, though this time with a noticeable frown, Nick turned to look at the bed. He frowned softly at what he saw, the little brown rabbit hooked into half-a-dozen tubes and wires. She looked so small.

"How's Kelly?" His voice was quiet and serious, a reflection of his concern. Judy's frown didn't go away, it just changed from annoyed to worried.

"The doctors say she'll wake up in a few days. Chances are low there's any permanent damage, but they said to be prepared. There's no guarantee with a head injury." Her voice was measured, but the concern was still obvious. Nick frowned a little deeper when he noticed Susie. The little bunny was facing towards the bed, shoulders slumped and ears drooping. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could easily imagine her downcast expression. The fox didn't like that.

"EEP!" The tiny rabbit squealed in surprise as a she was swept off her feet. She found herself suddenly deposited in her sister's lap, Judy reflexively wrapping an arm around her to keep the diminutive bunny from rolling out of the chair. Two identical faces with identical expressions of annoyance looked up Nick.

" _Hey!_ " They even complained in unison. The fox had to turn away, muffling a snicker with a paw. Once he had contained his mirth, he turned back to the bunnies, wearing his laid back smile, green eyes glinting with amusement.

"I think I have had enough of this dreary atmosphere. C'mon, you're Hopps bunnies! Where's your can-do attitude? Kelly is going to be _fine_. We're going to make it through this. Just have a little faith." His suddenly sunny disposition threw both sisters off guard. They both looked uncertain at first, glancing at each other. Seeing her sister look to her for approval, Judy managed a small smile.

"He's right. We'll make it." Seeing Susie wasn't entirely convinced, Nick tried again.

"Of course I'm right. You Hopps girls are strong. Did you know your sister knocked out a _rhino?_ " Judging from the surprise on her face, Susie didn't know that. She turned to Judy excitedly.

"Really? You did?" The wonder in the little girl's voice made Judy turn away, abashed.

"That's right!" Nick answered for her. "I think if a little bunny can beat a big ol' rhino, Kelly shouldn't have any problem beating this hospital. Right?" Susie looked up to Nick, face bright and sunny again.

"Right!" Judy watched the exchange between Nick and Susie with feelings of awe and gratitude. Awe, because she didn't know Nick could be this good with children and gratitude, because she knew she had been so lost in her own grief that she had been neglecting the little girl. This was the first smile Judy had seen from Susie in all their time in the hospital.

"Okay, all we need is a little opportunity. Luckily, I happen to have some with me." The fox turned to call over his shoulder, towards the door. "Hannibal! We're ready for you." The gray fox immediately opened the door, face somewhat annoyed.

"Took you long enough. I thought your girl killed you." The soldier took in the room with a glance. Spotting a chair in the corner, he drug it over so it was within a few feet of the one Nick, Judy and Susie were all sharing. Not deigning to sit right away, the colonel chose to lean against the bed instead. He quietly took in the image of the fox sitting there, wearing a laid back grin, attractive bunny in his lap wearing a cautious expression, with a smaller bunny that could be easily mistaken for a daughter in hers, staring at him with undisguised curiosity. As though to complete the image, Nick chose that moment to wrap his thick, bushy tail around them. The older fox smirked at them in a friendly way.

"That's quite a family you got there, son." His statement was entirely genuine, without any disapproval or derision. Susie wasn't bothered by the statement, but Judy looked a little mortified as she realised what they might look like. Nick just beamed.

"They _are_ something, aren't they?" Judy felt herself flush, looking down bashfully, fiddling with the thick fur on the tail pressed against her hip. She was embarrassed by being called Nick's family (and everything that might imply), but also a little pleased.

The gray fox sat in the chair he had brought over, settling himself in and taking a moment to prepare himself for the discussion to come.

"Ms. Hopps." The serious tone immediately caught Judy's attention, her gaze jumping up to meet the gray fox's eyes. "Your partner has been offered a unique opportunity. In exchange for service, his criminal record will be expunged, up to and including anything to do with avoiding capture by Colonel Biao's forces. At his insistence, we have decided to offer you the same.

"Tell me, Ms. Hopps. Have you ever considered joining the military?"


	23. Memories of Night

_Hannibal was lying on his back on the edge of a river surrounded by inch deep water when he came to with a gasp. The gray fox rolled over onto his paws and knees, coughing violently. A lifetime of experience taught him not to dwell on the burning in his chest. So, after hacking up the liquid that invaded his lungs, he immediately glanced around, taking in his environment. At first he only saw the shoreline and the forest. A look over his shoulder revealed something else. The moonlight illuminated a huge shape only a few yards away. When reaching for his holster revealed that his pistol was gone, the soldier went very, very still._

_Careful inspection of the shape revealed the hairless form of one of the mutants that had been chasing them. The hulking beast laid on its side further out into the river than Hannibal, the carcass sunk in three feet of water. The head bobbing in the current had both eyes blown out. He recognized it as the one he had helped blind when Nick was injured._

_The fox nearly bolted when he spotted movement from on top of the beast, thinking it was the monster twitching. A second glance however, revealed something else. A red fox was kneeling on top of the dead monstrosity, torso hunched with his back to Hannibal, shoulders bobbing and tail twitching. Why was Nick up there? It would have been agonizing to climb on anything with that bone spike in his side. It was then that Hannibal noticed that the deadly thorn was actually missing. The gray fox stood slowly, water splashing quietly around his ankles._

" _Nick, how are-?" The red fox whipped around, Hannibal shocked into silence by what he saw. Sharp teeth were bared in a fierce, animalistic growl, muzzle completely covered in blood. That wasn't the worst of it. No, what really froze the veteran in place were the eyes. Where once they were green, now they were a fierce, gleaming crimson, so bright they nearly glowed. Hannibal remained perfectly still, not wanting to set Nick off. The savage fox, deciding the other was no threat, turned back to what he had been doing. The soldier felt a little sick when he heard the wet sound of tearing flesh. Nick was_ eating _the monster's corpse!_

_When a bone chilling growl came from behind Hannibal reflexively spun towards the treeline. A mutant came stalking out of the woods. It was difficult to to tell what it used to be, hairless features stretched out of shape until it couldn't be told if was a canine, feline, or even vulpine. The sharp teeth gave it a way as a predator though. The soldier reached behind himself, pushing his paw beneath the back of his vest and grabbing a handle hidden there. The fox pulled it free, revealing an eight inch combat knife. It seemed large compared to the four-foot tall vulpine, but the ease with which he wielded it showed he was comfortable with the blade._

" _Okay. Don't panic. Just gotta blind -_ Oh, hell _." Two more mutants appeared on either side of the first. On the left was an enormous boar, a dozen tusks like spears sticking out of its mouth. On the right was a tall, thin, long legged creature, towering over the others by at least six feet. It's limbs had no paws or hooves, instead ending in smooth spikes of bone._

 _Hannibal backed slowly away from the trio of monsters stalking towards him. The river rapidly deepened and the fox was forced to stop after a few steps, knowing that if the water got any deeper he would lose his maneuverability, his only advantage. He hefted the blade in his paw, preparing himself for what was probably, no,_ definitely _going to be the worst fight of his life._

 _The monsters didn't lunge or charge. Slow steps took them towards their prey, until they were standing on the very edge of the river, less than ten feet away. The mystery mutant in the lead reached a hairless, twisted paw forward to step into the gentle current, then paused just before it would have gotten wet. Hannibal took this detail in instantly. Could the mutants be afraid of water? Then he noticed something else. The mutants hadn't just stopped. They were staring. Not at the gray fox, no. They were staring_ behind him. _Before the soldier could risk a glance over his shoulder something went running passed, splashing through the shallow water towards the shore, stopping just before the Hunters._

_Hannibal's eyebrows rose nearly to his ears as he took in the sight of Nick nearly nose to nose with the apparent leader of the mutants. The red fox stood on two feet, shoulders hunched with arms out, claws revealed. His red tail stuck out, fur standing out as best it could while soaked. The savage tod stared into the much larger beast's eyes fearlessly, growling ferociously. When the beast made to step into the river the almost laughable small fox snapped his teeth at the paw, before returning his red-eyed gaze to the mutant's. The beast brought the offending limb back to dry land. The act surprised the watching veteran._

_What was happening? The red fox was no threat to these monsters. It was like a mouse fighting a lion. Surprise became shocked disbelief as the Hunters began to back away. The leader and the long-limbed one turned away first, disappearing into the woods with startling swiftness. The boar lingered, staring the little savage down. Nick took a step forward and snapped at it, the challenge clear in every facet of his face and posture. The great hairless pig snorted disdainfully, then turned away to follow his fellows at a much more sedate pace._

_Hannibal watched the beast go, then put his eyes on Nick's hunched back. Nearly two minutes passed before the red fox moved again, arms coming down slowly to hang limply at his sides, tail dropping into the shallow water. He swayed in place for a few moments, then collapsed snout first into the river._

* * *

"That was the last we saw of the Hunters." Hannibal was sitting across from Nick and Judy in an empty waiting room. Susie had been left behind to watch Kelly as the adults had their conversation. Judy sat next to Nick, squeezing his paw with bone grinding intensity as she was told of their terrifying escape from the ambush on the military convoy.

"Y-you said Nick was _stabbed?_ " Nick winced as the already painful grip on his paw took another step towards being unbearable. Deciding that the best thing he could do was show her that he was fine, he reached over with a paw and pried Judy's digits off. She looked at him with confusion as he stood and twisted to present his side. The fox lifted his shirt with one paw, pointing to the wound with his other.

"Look, I heal fast, too. See? I didn't even need major surgery!" After a dubious glance at his face, Judy leaned in to observe the spot he was pointing out. There was a pink patch of wrinkled skin just above his hip, the size of which made Judy's stomach flip. Hannibal hadn't been exaggerating when he said it was as thick as his wrist. However, the wound was most of the way to being healed. Fur had already begun to grow back, just long enough to be noticeable.

"He's right. By the time I pulled him out of the river the bleeding had already stopped. By the time we ran down a truck and got help, they actually had to cut him open again to clean the wound. You should have seen the doctor flip when he came to check on the stitches the next day. He accused us of stabbing Nick's identical twin two weeks ago and switching them. If I hadn't already called my friends in Command Biao would have snatched us up for sure." Judy barely glanced at the gray fox as he spoke, unable to keep her eyes away from the wound in her partner's side. As a cop, she knew a wound like this could easily kill a mammal. The shirt falling down and covering the scar jerked her from her reverie.

Nick kneeled before her, putting one paw on her knee and the other on her face, wiping a tear away. Judy hadn't realised she was crying. Again. God, when was she going to get a grip!?

"Hey, it's alright to be upset." Nick spoke up, answering her internal question like he could read her mind. Maybe he could? She frankly considered the possibility for a moment. The rabbit honestly couldn't tell if she thought the idea was ridiculous. He could already heal at an unbelievable rate and slow down time with a thought (at least, that was how she understood it). Maybe driving the Hunters away was some kind of telepathy.

"Carrots, I can't read your mind." _See!? That's exactly what a mind reader would say._ "I can read your face. It's really, really easy with how emotional you are. You're projecting so hard I could probably guess your bank account number if you thought about it." _It's 335127-_ "I was _kidding,_ don't actually do that."

"Will you _stop_ _that?"_ Judy huffed, making Nick smile. Annoyed was better than scared anyday.

"Ahem!" The sound of Hannibal clearing his throat pulled the duo's attention back to the gray fox. Nick, still kneeling, looked at the veteran from over his shoulder. The reynard's raised eyebrows and somewhat pointed look seeming to say 'forgetting something?' Nick, a tad sheepish, retook his seat next to Judy.

"I hate to interrupt this…" The soldier waved a paw at them vaguely, like he was trying to indicate not just them, but the whole area around the pair. "Whatever it is you have going on here, but we still have some critical information to cover." Hannibal leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees, paws clasped. He looked each one of them in the eye, his serious expression making the younger mammals sit straighter in their seat. Even Nick's smile melted away. Once he was sure he had the duo's attention, he took a quick breath and pushed on. "Now that Nick here has proven how effective he is at fighting the Hunters, we have a real chance at convincing the brass that he's more useful as a soldier than a test subject. I can't save you from Biao's secret lab. What I _can_ give you is a fighting chance." The fox put all of his focus on Judy, as this was something that Nick already knew. "A live fire demonstration. You'll have one shot to impress my boss, General Justice Wolfdun. She's in command of the entire Zootopia Disaster Response. She has the connections and know-how necessary to guarantee your freedom and safety." The older fox leaned back in his seat, apparently done with his spiel. "Questions?"

"Why are you doing this? Why help us?" Hannibal's eyebrows went up, ears twitching in surprise. Judy's question was unexpected, but after a moment's thought the soldier realised it wasn't surprising at all. After being captured, tortured and hunted by her government, the young doe certainly had reason to be suspicious of anyone in the military.

"The short answer? Because it's the right thing to do. I gave my life to this military to defend animals, not persecute them. Soldiers like Biao are a necessary evil, but that doesn't mean I condone their actions and wouldn't like to see them fail." Judy's gaze fell to her lap, her nose twitching as she thought over the answer. After a moment she raised her eyes to Hannibal's.

"What's the long answer?" Nick shifted, bringing an arm down from where it previously laid on an almost-too-tall armrest so he could grab one of the bunny's paws in his own.

"Carrots, come on-"

"No-No." Hannibal interrupted the younger fox before he could reprimand the suspicious rabbit, raising a paw to get Nick's attention, then dropping it back to his lap once the pair was focused on him again. "It's fine. The 'Long Answer', Ms. Hopps, is that I am determined to die an interesting death." The veteran couldn't help the smile that cracked his muzzle at seeing the matching dumbfounded expressions on the couple's faces. "Oh, it's true. I can't resist a good, dangerous mission. The crazier, the better."

The soldier leaned back in his seat, smiling a familiar smile. It was cocky and relaxed and Judy was beginning to suspect it was endemic to vulpines everywhere. It looked as perfectly natural on Hannibal's face as it did on Nick's.

"And really, this whole situation is ludicrous. Mad scientists, mutant monsters, shady black ops _and a vulpine with superpowers._ " Sharp teeth were revealed as the gray fox's smile widened. The colonel raised his arms and spread them wide. "What more could an adrenaline-junkie, glory seeking old fox like me ask for? I would have meddled whether you wanted me to or not. Although," A grey furred paw pointed two digits at Nick. "Mr. 'Can't Miss' saving my fur has made it a lot easier to justify my involvement. What kind of ungrateful creature would I be if I let the fox that saved my life just die?" The colonel leaned forward again, grey eyes boring into Judy's violet. "So you see, Ms. Hopps, this mission is the kind I have been chasing my entire career. I won't let it just...pass me by." The fox's paw swung out in front of him, demonstrating something flying passed. Dropping both paws to his lap, the reynard leaned back, eyeing the rabbit coolly. "So, there you have it: My selfish reasons for helping. Now, can we get back to what's _important_? Like how we're going to get you two through this mess." Judy shifted in her seat, feeling a little ashamed that she had questioned the motives of the only ally they had in this mess.

"Thank you!" The rabbit's sudden, loud response made both of the foxes' ears twitch. "And, uh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you explain yourself. I really am grateful for what you've done for Nick, for both of us." She took the red fox's paw into her own, raising the combined paws so Hannibal could see. "Thank you so much." The gray fox smiled, pleased. Now that the bunny trusted him a little, this whole thing would be a lot easier.

"You're welcome, but, like I said, I would have meddled anyway. Well!" The reynard clapped his paws, rubbing his pads together. "Let's get to it! We still have a lot to cover…"

* * *

It took well over an hour, but Hannibal, Judy and Nick shared everything they knew about their situation. Judy learned they had about forty hours until the scheduled meeting with General Wolfdun. According to Hannibal, that was more than enough time to cover everything they would need to know. The duo's background as police helped enormously, as they were already trained in basic tactics, battlefield communication and close combat. The veteran was confident he and his team could teach the pair everything they would need to know to ace a field evaluation.

It was approaching eight in the evening when Hannibal said he was satisfied that everyone understood their part of the plan. Before he could leave, Judy reminded him that they would need to arrange for someone to care for Kelly and Susie. The colonel promised to speak with the officer in charge of the military presence in the hospital, a Lt. Spader if he remembered correctly, and convince him to allow a couple family members to care for the girls in Judy's absence. The rabbit assured him that she could arrange for two of her older siblings to be there by morning.

Now the three of them stood by the elevator.

"Remember to get some sleep. The next two days are going to be hard, so you'll want to be well-rested." The look he wore as he eyed the two, somewhere between amused and suggestive, made it clear what the couple might get up to instead of sleep. Judy, still affected by her lack of sleep, didn't pick up on the hidden meaning. Nick, fully alert, did.

"Don't worry. We'll focus on knocking Wolfdun's boots off." The red fox puffed out his chest and grinned, the very image of confidence. "Can't promise anything _after_ the demonstration, though." The older gray shook his head and grinned, stepping forward to put a paw on Nick's shoulder.

"Keep up that attitude. You'll need it to make it through this." Hannibal squeezed Nick's shoulder. Even though his smile didn't waver, there was something in his eyes that said he was very, very serious. The younger tod's smile diminished, but didn't disappear completely. He brought up his own paw and squeezed the soldier's shoulder in turn, trying to show how serious _he_ was.

"Don't worry. I know you're taking a big gamble on us. We won't let you down. Isn't that right, Carrots?" Judy jumped slightly, attention having slipped while the foxes said goodbye. She looked up to see the much taller vulpines were peering down at her.

"Oh, uh- R-Right! We'll be so amazing that she'll beg us to work for her!" Hannibal smiled at the answer, patting Nick's shoulder before he stepped back, both the males' arms falling to their sides.

"Good. That's what I want to hear." The gray fox pressed the button to summon the elevator car before turning back to them. "You and your lady friend get some sleep. I'll be here at oh six hundred to pick you up." The doors opened and Hannibal stepped in, turning to press the button for the ground floor. Nick, surprisingly, saluted. Even more surprising, the salute was sharp and crisp, perhaps the most genuine he had ever done.

"Thank you, Colonel!" Judy, shocked by the fox's impulsive actions, scrambled to emulate him, stumbling over her own thanks. Hannibal smiled that lazy, cocky smile that was so eerily similar to Nick's, saluting the pair with two digits as the doors slid closed.

Nick wilted slightly once the other fox completely disappeared from sight, arm dropping back to his side. He turned to look down at Judy, the bunny peering up at him in turn. They looked at each other for few moments before the impatient rabbit got fed up with waiting. She grabbed Nick's paw in her own before she drug him in the direction of the nurse's station.

"Come on, dumb fox. I have a phone call to make."

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Is that all you can say!? What are you, a toy!? No, even toys say more than you do!" It had been fifteen minutes since Hannibal left and Judy and Nick were trying to make the call to Judy's siblings to summon a guardian for Kelly and Susan. However, a soldier that had been patrolling the floor caught them as they requested the use of a phone from one of the nurses. Judy recognized his voice. It was Simmons, one of the mammals that had been guarding her door.

Simmons, an unusually short moose with both of his antlers cut off (Nick had wondered why, then realised a set of huge antlers might be terribly troublesome for a soldier. Perhaps he cut them off for convenience sake?), had tersely informed the pair that they were not allowed to use the phone without permission. Since their colonel benefactor had gone and the lieutenant had not yet issued orders otherwise, the moose insisted that Judy return to her room and denied any requests for communication, not even to radio to his lieutenant to ask for an update. After five minutes of _patiently_ asking to speak to Lt. Spader, then five minutes of _impatiently_ asking, Judy, too exhausted to be patient and sick to death of crying, had chosen to get angry. This lead to five minutes of outraged demands and arguing.

Nick, previously content to let Judy work off some of her frustration at the moose's expense, noticed the soldier's hoof twitch towards his holstered side arm and realised another escalation could lead to a fight. A fight that could seriously hurt their chances of convincing the military to let them be soldiers instead of test subjects.

Feeling a paw on her shoulder, the angry rabbit spun towards whoever it belonged to.

"WHAT!?" Judy's shout was much louder than what most would consider appropriate, or even acceptable, for a hospital. Nick, expertly hiding his chagrin, patiently began to talk her down.

"Carrots, I know you're upset, but yelling at the horned pig isn't getting us anywhere. Let's just go back to your room and we'll work something out." The fox ignored Simmon's glare with the ease of long practice. Judy threw her arms down and stomped a foot, clearly not done with her tantrum.

"Nick, we _have_ to make that call! We can't leave Susan here alone!" Her voice was lower than before, but still above acceptable levels. The caracal nurse behind the nearby desk was glaring and it was only the presence of two uniformed mammals that kept her from speaking up. Nick gently put both of his paws on the irate bunny's shoulders, trying to calm her with a familiar touch.

"Now, Fluff, you heard Hannibal. He said he would talk to the mammal in charge. Us foxes are pretty reliable, right? Let's give it a few minutes. I'm sure he'll come through. Come on." The tod began to carefully guide the stubborn doe toward her room. At first Judy resisted, standing her ground long enough to send a caustic glare at the moose soldier. Once she was sure Simmons knew _exactly_ how much she loathed him in that moment she allowed Nick to pull her away.


	24. Memories of Blood

As soon as they returned to their room, Judy pulled her arm from Nick's guiding paw and stomped towards the chairs by Kelly's bed, hopping into the one previously occupied by Hannibal. She sat down and began to focus her hearing, determined to locate Lt. Spader and find out whether he meant to let her contact her family or not.

Nick sighed and quietly closed the door behind him. Maybe he shouldn't have let Judy get this badly riled up. Well, too late to do anything about it now. Best thing to do was to give her some space. She'd calm down on her own.

The fox crossed the room at a sedate pace, coming to a stop between the chairs by the bed. A quick glance at Judy showed the rabbit was already in Ghost Mode, body perfectly still as she focused on parsing the enormous amount of information being collected by her enhanced hearing.

Turning to the other chair, Nick's eyes softened. Susie was fast asleep, ears draped across the seat, head resting on her crossed arms and legs brought up to her chest. Nick was surprised how small the bunny was, curled up like that. Without meaning to, the fox imagined the little rabbit in a teacup. The tod smiled softly at the image. Gosh, these bunnies were just too cute.

The fox leaned against the bed, arms crossing as he watching the sleeping kit's peaceful face. He was surprised by how much the sight soothed him. It seemed the moment he was comfortable, however, there came a knock at the door.

"Excuse me! I have something for Judy Hopps!" A voice came through the door, disturbing the quiet. Nick's eyes snapped to the door, then slid to Judy to find her startled out of her trance. Seeing the rabbit slip out of her chair, the fox's gaze returned to Susie. Nick was annoyed to find the girl's sleep was disturbed, head raised off her arms, eyes blinking slowly. Stepping forward, the reynard kneeled before the chair, reaching out a paw to gently brush the downy fur across the side of her face, trying to put the little rabbit back to sleep.

"Nick?" The bunny's voice was heavy with sleep. The red fox smiled gently, trying to keep his sharp teeth from showing.

"Hey there, kiddo. We have an early start tomorrow, so try to go back to sleep, okay?" Anyone who actually knew the fox would have been surprised by how soft and tender the predator's voice was. Hell, _he_ was surprised.

"But I don't want to…" Even as she objected, the little grey kit's head sank back to her arms, sleepy violet eyes seeming to close of their own accord.

While Nick dealt with Susie, Judy moved to the door. Still a little miffed, the rabbit yanked the door open with more force than was necessary. A young ram stood on the other side of the frame. His horns hadn't quite grown in all the way and he was in much better shape than most of the ovines of the bunny's admittedly limited acquaintance. His thick fleece was also shorn unusually short, making him look even thinner. Judy was pretty sure she recognised his voice.

"Private Ramsey, right? What is it?" Even though she tried to use a level voice, it was still easy to tell the bunny was annoyed. The soldier looked down at her, cone-shaped ears twitching in surprise.

"Uh, yes ma'a'am." Despite his obvious effort, he still bleated a little when he used the word 'ma'am'. "How did you, uh, know it was me? We've never met." Judy just barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She did, however, level a half-lidded stare at the ram that, combined with her annoyed frown, made her impatience clear.

"I heard Lieutenant Spader yelling at you over the radio. Something about embarrassing the platoon? Anyway, you said you have something for me?" The sheep's almost non-existent wool made it very easy to tell he was blushing, apparently embarrassed by the mention of his bosses little tirade.

"You _heard_ that? Wow, rabbits really _do_ have good hearing!" Judy's foot thumping the floor caught the soldier's attention, making it clear just how little patience the doe had left. Shifting a little uncomfortably, the ram finally recalled what he had been sent there to do. A hoof reached back and snagged something off his belt. When he presented the item to Judy, the private began to explain.

"Uh, Lieutenant Spader wanted you to have this, ma'a'am!" At first glance the item seemed to be a radio. However, this was bright yellow and thinner, with a bigger screen. When Judy took the item and turned it over a couple times, she realised it was a satellite phone. Eyebrows raising in surprise she looked up at the ram again, eyes bright and smiling wide enough to show her teeth.

"I can use this? Really?" The obvious joy in her voice made Ramsey shift uncomfortably, knowing he would have to temper it with some less than great news.

"Well, yes, but I have to make sure you only call your family. And you can only have one call. I'm sorry." The ram finished lamely, not quite able to look the bunny in the eye. Judy's sunny smile diminished slightly, but she didn't let the news get her down. She invited the ram in with much more civility than she started the encounter with.

The sight that greeted Judy when she made it back to the chairs by the bed gave her pause. Nick was kneeling before the chair occupied by a sleeping Susie. His paw was carefully draped over the kit's slight shoulder, the tod's thumb gently brushed the fur on her cheek. The fox's paw seeming huge compared to the little bunny. What had the smile disappearing from Judy's face was his expression. The tod's ears were pressed to his head and he was frowning. His green eyes were pinched at the corners, like he was in pain.

The rabbit was stuck in place for a moment, unable to reconcile what she was seeing with his earlier behavior. Her back was only turned for a minute. What could have happened in that time?

"She looks so much like her mother." His voice was soft and quiet, but his tone carried with it something dark. Something desolate. Judy swallowed thickly.

"Nick?" Her voice was tentative and a little afraid. The fox's entire body tensed subtly, his thumb coming to rest on Susie's cheek. For just a heartbeat he was perfectly still, but then he pulled his paw away from the little bunny, using both arms on the chair to push himself up.

Once he was standing Nick turned towards Judy. His suddenly blank expression and darkened eyes made the rabbit flinch. The tod opened his mouth like he was going to say something, seemed to think better of it, then closed his mouth. He stepped forward, brushing passed Judy and Private Ramsey, the ram looking intensely uncomfortable.

Judy managed to call out just as Nick reached the door.

"Nick? Where are you going?" Her tremulous voice, equal parts concerned and afraid, made the fox pause, paw hovering over the door handle. He glanced over his shoulder to see Judy staring after him, clutching the satellite phone to her chest with both paws, ears limp and eyes wide. She looked so vulnerable.

Nick managed a small smile, for her sake.

"Don't worry, Carrots. I'm just going for a walk. I'll be back in time to tuck you in. Promise." He turned away and slipped out the door, leaving a worried bunny and a confused ram behind.

* * *

As soon as the door was closed behind him, the fox tucked both of his paws under his arms, trying to hide how much they were shaking. He turned and set off down the hall, walking at first. Then his steps gradually gained speed, his boots seeming to thunder as he ran.

Spotting a door at the end of the hall, the tod made a beeline for it. Nearly crashing into the small bathroom, he dove for the toilet. Nick puked his guts out, paws clutching the toilet seat while he retched.

Once the initial wave of nausea passed Nick collapsed next to the porcelain fixture, pressing his head to the cool tile floor and gasping. His eyes were open and unseeing as images flashed before his mind's eye with such intensity that it stole his breath away, his murder and consumption of Bonnie Hopps playing out in excruciating detail. The entire event, from the first instant his fangs sank into her soft neck to the moment he felt her liver sliding down his throat, crashed through his mind over and over and _over._

The agonized reynard curled into a ball, paws clutching at his head, claws digging into his flesh hard enough to draw blood. Revolting truths so abhorrent they threatened to wash away his very sense of self returned to him with stunning clarity. Truths of the flesh: how easy it was to tear; what it felt like as he chewed; how satisfying it felt when he swallowed and the most terrible truth of all, the one that he truly could not bear; rabbit was _delicious._

As the insensate red fox writhed, muscles tensed until they were screaming for relief, something changed. For just a moment something had caught his attention, distracting him from the turmoil of his soul. Nick brought a shaking paw up, staring in confusion at the bloody tips of his claws. Feeling a something on his face, the reynard touched his cheek, only to jerk his paw away. Looking at his paw confirmed that, yes, there was fresh blood on his pads. Pressing his paw back to his cheek made him hiss, his cheek throbbing.

* * *

_The fox lay on his side in the white, sterile cell in Red Eyes' lab, head throbbing and body feeling like it was on fire from the mad scientist's serum. Primal urges trying to overtake him, Nick desperately sought for a solution, for a way to distract himself from the murderous thoughts. The tod brought himself to his paws and knees, raised his head high and brought it down with all his might. Stars burst behind his eyes as pain became the only thing he knew._

* * *

Nick blinked at the memory, face still aching under his paw. That's right, pain was his solution last time. Pain had quieted the raging storm inside, given him something to focus on. It had given him strength.

The fox pushed himself up from the floor, getting to his knees and using a paw on the toilet to steady himself. Body shaking and tail jerking spastically, the tod hunched over, raising his left arm and pushing the sleeve of his digital camo shirt back with his other paw. His forearm was revealed, free of the stitches he had had as a memento from his brush with a savage Judy. Even the bite from Bonnie was gone, his recently regrown fur covering the faint scars.

Gripping his wrist to steady himself, Nick prepared himself for what he was about to do. He hesitated for an instant, unsure. Then, feeling the memories threatening to overwhelm him again, he pushed his forearm into his mouth and bit down _hard_.

Teeth pierced flesh, green eyes dilating as the metallic taste of blood poured over his tongue. The pain came, sharp and intense. The shock of it wiped away the maddening thoughts and memories, just as he'd hoped. The fox, able to focus at last, began to pull himself back together.

The tremors wracking his body slowed to a stop, shoulders relaxing and tail coming to a rest on the floor. He disengaged his jaw, breath heavy as he pulled his arm away.

Almost as soon as his as his limb left his maw his mind filled again with bloody memories, flashbacks of mutilated rabbit flashing behind his eyes.

Gasping at the sudden onslaught, Nick fell forward and caught himself with his paws. A wave of fresh pain shot up his left arm, the newly made wound throbbing and burning. Desperate to escape the images relentlessly assaulting his mind, the fox raised his limb and slammed his injured forearm against the tiled floor. Again the pain cleared his mind. Again the images came back. Again Nick struck his bloody arm on the tile. Each time the memories stayed away for just a little longer. Each time they came back with just a little less intensity. Eventually the madness was suppressed.

Gasping and exhausted, the tod spent several long minutes resting where he was, on his knees and hunched over with his face buried in his right forearm. When he finally had the strength he raised his head. The sight that greeted him would have been shocking, if he wasn't so drained already.

Blood was splattered _everywhere_. Radiating from where his left arm rested, red streaks covered the floor, walls and toilet, becoming blotches and flecks they further they got from the epicenter.

Still breathing heavily, the tod leaned back, sitting on his haunches. His left arm left a gruesome smear as he pulled it from the floor. Surprisingly, there was no pain. A hot tingling was in its stead, like some sort of organic white noise.

When the limb failed to respond to his command to rise he reached over with his good arm, grabbing his left wrist in his right paw and using it to lift the unresponsive extremity manually. Some pain filtered through the warm numbness, but after what he just went through it didn't seem to matter at all.

While there was no missing the dozen or so puncture wounds in his arm, blood soaked fur made it impossible to determine the true extent of the damage. When a thick glob of dark crimson dripped from his forearm Nick instinctively held the limb away from his body in an effort to keep from staining his uniform. He nearly snorted when he realised what a pointless effort _that_ was. The side and front of his fatigues were stained with dozens of dark spots, not to mention his left sleeve. It was soaked, the cloth almost black with all of the blood it had absorbed.

"I _just_ got this uniform. Way to go Nick, you _idiot._ " He grumbled, glaring down at his ruined attire. The fox released his wrist, letting his inert arm fall to his side. Putting his right paw on the toilet seat, he used it as leverage to stand. It was a struggle, legs shaky and knees almost refusing to straighten.

Once he was standing the tod had to take a moment to steady himself, eyes closed as he fought the blackness encroaching on the edges of his vision. It seemed to go on forever, taking nearly a full minute before he felt well enough to walk. Perhaps he had lost more blood than he supposed? Looking at the area he just vacated, that seemed entirely too likely. With the smeared pool of blood and copious crimson splatters it looked like some poor mammal was murdered in the corner of the bathroom. Violently.

After another moment spent taking in the macabre scene, the fox turned away. Making his way to the sink, the tired tod turned on the faucet. Cupping his good paw under the stream of water, Nick gathered as much as he could before bringing it to his lips. Rinsing and spitting a couple of times washed out most of the foul taste in his mouth. Then he splashed his face a little, the cool liquid feeling heavenly on his fevered flesh.

Green eyes finally looked to the mirror above the sink and were transfixed by what they saw. While he was mildly disturbed by the haggard fox with haunted eyes and messy fur staring back at him, that wasn't what really bothered him. What caught his eye were the three fresh claw marks marring his left cheek, running from just under his eye straight down passed the corner of his mouth.

"Damn." There was no way Judy wouldn't notice. The lovely, selfless bunny was going to worry. The fox gripped the sink with his paw, baring his teeth at his reflection. The rabbit that made his life worth living was going through enough _god damn it!_ She did not need her damaged in the head partner making her worry!

Still glaring at the mirror, he took a long moment to consider his situation. Eventually the fox decided on a course of action. Schooling his features into a somewhat blank, friendly mask he turned away from the mirror and head out the door.

* * *

**9:37 P.M.**

The electric clock sitting on the nightstand by Kelly's bed glowed a bright, cheery red. The squat, square contraption shared what it knew with anyone that glanced in its direction.

Judy hated it.

She hated it for it's complete indifference to her situation. How dare that plastic piece of junk just go on about its business at a time like this!? When _her fox_ was _missing!?_

She had heard Nick rushing to the bathroom, of course. The sound of him getting sick made her throat tighten. While that made her sad, the rabbit also understood.

'She looks so much like her mother,' he had said. Obviously the fox was having some trouble coming to terms with what happened. Judy had let him go, knowing he needed time to himself. So, knowing she only had a short time to do so, she turned to the task at paw and called her family.

The rabbit had spent nearly half an hour on the phone with her siblings, learning about their situation and sharing what she could about hers in turn. They had been allowed to return to their farm and almost all of their friends and neighbors had shown up to assist in the rebuilding of the Hopps family home. While that was touching, it wasn't surprising. The few times Judy could recall someone's house or barn being destroyed, usually in a fire or a storm, she remembered a similar outpouring of support from the community. Zootopians might generally be indifferent to the plight of their fellows, but Bunnyburrow took care of its own.

Judy _had_ been surprised to learn that her family had already been informed of the deaths of Bonnie and Reece. Not how, thankfully, but they were told the unknown terrorist behind the Nighthowler bombings was responsible. It was painful telling her hurting family that she couldn't explain what really happened. Necessary, but painful.

Finally, Judy told them she needed a couple of volunteers to come care for Susie and Kelly. After they promised to have someone there by morning a tearful goodbye was shared and the call ended.

Private Ramsey took the satellite phone and fled. It was the first time he had ever been forced to eavesdrop on a stranger's intensely personal call with family before. The young ram clearly didn't know how to handle it.

That was nearly an hour ago. Now the silver furred bunny was fretting over Nick's disappearance, furious with herself for losing track of him during her call. All she knew was that he wasn't in the bathroom anymore.

**9:38 P.M.**

The rabbit grit her teeth and jumped from the chair to stomp towards the clock, fully prepared to put it out of her misery. Just as her paws came up to grab the imperiled timepiece the door opened.

Judy's head snapped around, ears instantly pert and attentive. Nick was standing at the door. The doe moved so fast she practically teleported, appearing in front of the fox before he could take two steps into the room. The rabbit buried her face in his chest, threw her arms around his middle and squeezed with all her might.

Nick was surprised and it showed. Eyebrows raised and ears pulled back as he looked down at the bunny holding him so tight. He had been expecting a punch to the gut and a verbal thrashing, not affection. His eyes softened as he brought up his left paw to pet her ears, feeling guilty. She must have been more worried than he thought. His guilt multiplied when he felt her shaking. He dropped the boots he was carrying in his right paw so he could wrap both of his arms around her.

The unexpected sound of rubber colliding with tile jerked Judy from her reverie. Large violet eyes opened, then blinked in surprise. She pulled back a little, taking in Nick's attire. The digital camo fatigues were gone, replaced by red scrubs identical to the ones she was wearing. She brought a paw up and grasped his shirt, tugging at the the thin material while her eyebrows scrunched up with confusion.

"Nick, what happened to your uniform?" The bunny looked up at the fox's downturned face. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she noticed that a bandage was taking up most of his cheek. "What happened? Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine." The tod winced slightly, just enough for the doe to notice. He brought up his arm and grabbed her wrist with a paw, gently loosening her grip on his shirt. Judy hadn't even noticed she had fisted her paw in the material covering his chest. She was a little ashamed to realize she had probably pulled on his fur in her distraction. The bunny did her best to ignore her embarrassment to focus on what was important. Like how the arm holding her wrist was bandaged from wrist to elbow.

" _Nick._ " The fox winced at the rabbit's distressed tone. When she tugged on his wrist, the reynard patiently allowed her to guide his arm so she could inspect it more closely. Judy held his wrist loosely with one paw, tenderly running her other paw over the dressing covering his forearm. After a moment she looked up at his face, violet eyes lingering on the bandage on his cheek. Finally, she looked into his eyes. "Is there more?"

Nick shook his head, ears folded back.

"No. No more. What you see is what you get."

"What happened?" It was only through long practice that Nick managed to hide his grimace.

"I had a... tantrum. In the bathroom. You're telling me you didn't hear it?" His right ear pointed up, matching the single brow he raised. Judy shifted a little from foot to foot, eyes falling to the floor, shamefaced.

"I heard you throw up. And some stuff after. I thought you were crying. I-I tried to…" she trailed off lamely, mumbling to herself. Nick took his arm from her grasp, bringing up his paw to stroke her cheek. Judy grasped his paw with both of hers, tracing his rough pads with her thumbs.

"You tried to give me some privacy, right?" The doe nodded, eyes still averted. The fox smiled down at her, using the paw on her cheek to raise her head. He leaned down, pressing his nose to hers while he looked deeply into her eyes. He took a moment to appreciate their gemlike quality. So lovely…

"Nick?" Judy called bashfully, snapping the fox out of his musing. He closed his eyes, lips quirking in a self-deprecating smile. _Geez, I got it bad._ He opened his eyes, struggling not to lose himself in her amaranthine gaze again.

"I appreciate you trying to give me some space, Carrots. No need to worry your pretty little head, though. I'm fine. Promise." He gave her his best reassuring smile. Judy didn't answer right away. She peered deeply into his verdant eyes, searching. After a few seconds that seemed to go on forever she nodded.

"Okay, Nick. Are you sure you're alright?" The fox grinned, pushing forward and tilting his head to give her a brief, reassuring kiss. He pulled back, standing to his full height.

"I'm sure. In fact, I'm better than alright. I'm terrific. I'm marvelous. Why, I'm just downright _peachy._ Want to know why?" Judy nodded slowly, a little suspicious. Nick was wearing that smile that said he was up to something. The fox crouched down again, putting himself eye to eye with the much shorter rabbit. "Because I have _you_ with me. What could be better than the company of the most beautiful bunny in the world?"

Judy looked away, abashed. The fox leaned in and stole a kiss while she was distracted, pulling away before she could respond.

"Now, let's get some sleep. We have a long couple of days ahead of us."


	25. Meeting the Team

"What the hell, Wilde!? What did you do to my uniform!?" It was the morning after Nick and Judy's reunion. Hannibal arrived exactly at six to pick them up, just as promised. Now the two foxes were in the hallway in front of Kelly's room. Nick stood before the peeved colonel, wearing the fatigues he had borrowed from the gray fox, with one barely noticeable difference. The sleeves were both torn off at the shoulder. The red fox flashed a shit-eating grin, put one paw on a hip and flexed with his other arm, showing off his bare fur.

"I thought it was obvious. Those sleeves were too stuffy, anyway. They were cramping my style." The younger tod smiled at his senior, hoping against hope that the older soldier wouldn't notice the little blood stains now speckling the uniform. While the hospital staff had been kind enough to wash his clothes, blood just never came out completely. Thankfully most of the little flecks and splatters were hard to spot amongst the digital camouflage. But, the left sleeve was so obviously stained it was completely impossible to miss. So, Nick had decided to use his old fallback of fixing it the best he could then bullshiting his way out of trouble. That meant the sleeves had to go.

Expression stormy, Hannibal walked up the other fox and snatched his nametag from the shirt's breast. Fisting the scrap of cloth in his paw, he pointed a digit at Nick's nervously smiling muzzle.

"This is your BDU now. And you're _paying_ for it _._ " The tone of the veteran's voice brooked no argument. Nick nodded rapidly, ears folded back.

"Of course! That was the plan all along. You didn't _really_ think-?" Hannibal interrupted the tod's panicked rambling by waving a paw in his face.

"Hey, cut the crap. Is your girl ready to go?" Glad to be off the topic of his clothes, Nick tilted his head at the door behind him.

"Yeah, she's ready. Just saying good bye to her brother and sisters." At about five that morning, two rabbits were ushered into their room. One was a familiar tawny female, Carly. The same one they had spoken to in Fru Fru's limo. The other was male a couple of years younger. He was tall for a rabbit, standing a head above his sisters. His fur was gray, but he was covered in black and white spots. One big black spot took up most of the area around his right eye. Nick learned his name was Douglas, but everyone called him Dinky. When the fox joked about his nickname, the rabbit just smiled. "Hey, at least it's better than 'Spot'!" Nick decided he liked Dinky. The tall bunny had a sense of humor.

Nick was only able to talk to Carly and Dinky for a few minutes before he had to leave to track down his fatigues. The impression he got was a good one. At least they didn't seem scared of him. Too much, anyway.

Hannibal pushing past him brought Nick back to the present. The gray fox went for the door, but it opened just before his paw could reach the handle. Judy stood there, wearing a pair of jeans and a green plaid button up shirt that her siblings had brought for her. Susie was standing next to her with a paw on her older sibling's pant leg.

"Hey guys. Just one second." Turning, she knelt before Susie. She reached up to place a paw on the little girl's shoulder. "I have to go now. Remember what we talked about?" The adolescent bunny nodded, face solemn. "Alright. I love you." Judy pulled her in for a quick hug, then stood. Carly walked up, taking the small bunny's paw to guide her away from the door. Judy watched them go for a second, then turned to the foxes standing in the hall. She stepped through the frame and closed the door behind her.

"Good to go?" Hannibal asked. Judy gave him a determined nod.

"Good to go."

* * *

A few minutes later the three mammals walked out of the hospital. Hannibal led them through the parking lot, toward an enormous van. In spite of the van being an older model it looked brand new, sporting gleaming chrome trim and a shiny coat of black paint with a stripe of bright red running around the sides. Even the tires looked immaculate.

A brown furred bison with a mohawk was standing in front of the van carefully wiping a smear from the windshield with a rag. He was wearing camouflaged pants and a black singlet. Body thick with muscle, he looked like he could give Chief Bogo a run for his money. He muttered to himself while he cleaned the glass. Judy's hearing made it easy to understand.

"...bastard. Jiminy Cricket messing up my baby, I oughta pop his grasshopper momma right in her fool mouth-!" Wholly absorbed in his task, the huge bull didn't notice the trio of much smaller mammals approach.

"Guys, this is Sergeant B. A. Baracus." An ear twitched at the sound of Hannibal's voice. The burly bovine turned towards the little group, peering down at them with brown eyes that were barely visible through the thick fur on his face. Looking at him from the front, it became obvious that he enjoyed gold. Several gold chains were wrapped around his bulging neck, his left ear had three gold piercings and he had wide gold bands wrapped around his wrists and the bases of his horns. He even had several gold rings on his hoof tipped fingers.

"These must be those super freaks you told us about." Fisting the rag in his hoof, the bison crossed his heavily muscled arms. Glaring down at the pair just behind the gray fox, his eyes zeroed in on Nick. "And _you_ must be the low-down, dirty, slick sunovabitch that took down Murdoc."

Feeling all eyes on him, Nick took a step forward. He managed a strained smile up at his accuser.

"Well, ah, yes. Yes, that was me. If you want me to apologize…" A huge smile spread across the bison's face, the sight of which made the fox trail off in confusion. Baracus leaned back and let out a loud, booming laugh.

"Ha! Apologise?! You kiddin'?!" The bull's grin was so wide it showed off all of his big, square teeth. "I ain't _ever_ seen that crazy fool so pissed off! Its funny as _hell!_ " Leaning down, he gave Nick's shoulder a friendly shove that nearly toppled him over. "You alright, fox!"

Catching himself before he fell, the fox rubbed his shoulder. A more genuine smile spread across his muzzle as he looked up at the friendly soldier.

"Always glad to be of service. Baracus, right? I'm Nick Wilde." Dropping his paw from his shoulder, he used it to indicate his partner. "And this is Judy Hopps." The rabbit, still looking a little bewildered by Baracus' strange behavior, managed a friendly smile and a wave. The bull just grinned back.

"Yeah, Hannibal told us all 'boutcha. Pretty messed up situation, but you're in good company now. We'll take care of you." He continued to grin down at them, voice gruff but genuine. The duo smiled back.

Hannibal, who had been standing off to the side while they talked, clapped his paws. Once all eyes were on him he spoke.

"Alright, now that introductions are out of the way we need to get going. Lots to do!" Baracus reacted first, nodding and walking around to the passenger door.

"You got it boss. C'mon you two, you ride in the back. Careful with the upholstery or I'll have to wreck ya!" The big bison continued to smile while he gave his threat, but Nick and Judy both got the idea that he wasn't kidding. The bull opened the sliding door, motioning for them to get in with the other hoof. Judy hopped up easily, then turned to give Nick a paw up into the big van. The fox scrambled in, careful not to scratch anything. Once they were in Baracus slid the door shut behind them.

The back of the van was roomy, with the walls, ceiling and floor covered in a layer of plush carpet. Everything was done up in a continuous shade of black, making the air feel dark and cool. The two climbed onto a comfortable padded bench that took up the wall across from the door. As they made themselves comfortable Hannibal climbed into the passenger seat, followed by Baracus climbing behind the wheel. The entire van shifted under the bull's enormous bulk. Within a few moments they were heading down the road.

Hannibal leaned over the armrest, twisting around to look at the duo.

"Alright kids, listen up. We have some important ground to cover before your big debut. First, we're going to cover everything you need to know to not make yourselves look like idiots in front of the General. Now, here's what you need to know..."

* * *

Hannibal gave Judy and Nick a crash course on military parlance, protocols and procedure. Meanwhile, Baracus drove them north, towards the farthest reaches of the Meadowlands. After an hour they pulled off of the road, the van noticeably rocking back and forth a few times as it trundled over unpaved earth. Eventually they came to a stop at a checkpoint. Baracus rolled down his window with one hoof and started digging in the glove box with the other.

"Identification, please." The guard did _not_ sound like he was asking.

"Yeah, yeah…" The bison muttered to himself as he retrieved a thick envelop, already opened, and handed it to the wolf guarding the checkpoint. He shuffled through the papers and confirmed the van's license plate before handing the envelope back. Baracus and Hannibal both gave a quick, two digit salute as they were waved through.

With her incredible hearing, it was easy for Judy to figure out that they had just driven into a large camp or barracks of some kind. Hundreds of voices all rang out and mingled as thousands of soldiers played, cooked, trained and patrolled. After a few minutes Baracus steered sharply to the right and stopped the van. Everyone got out, with Baracus jogging over to open the sliding door for Judy and Nick.

With a wave of his paw Hannibal directed the duo to follow him. They did so, looking around with interest. They were in the middle of a huge military staging ground. Tents and semipermanent shelters seemed to go on forever.

Alpha Team had their own little corner of the camp to themselves with four tents set in a square, one in each corner. There was a small central area that was dominated by a grill, with a plastic folding table set next to it. Off to one side was a small group of lawn chairs surrounding a plastic kiddie pool. Each chair was sized for a different member of the team. Two of them were occupied.

Hannibal lead the pair towards the chairs. A well-groomed camel in a white button up shirt and khaki slacks turned his head towards them as they approached. His smile was practiced and easy. He raised an arm and waved.

"Boss! And these must be those mammal's you told us about. Nick and Judy, right? Nice to meet you!" His voice was bright and cheery. Once they were close enough he stuck out a hoof for the pair to shake. They did so with a smile, glad to meet such a friendly animal.

"Face, this is Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps." Hannibal waved a paw at pair, then waved a paw at the camel in turn. "Nick, Judy, this is Lieutenant Templeton Peck. He's my second in command." Releasing Judy's paw, the lieutenant gave his CO a pointed look. The gray fox smiled sardonically. "He's also Alpha Team's Chief Public Relations Officer and Chief Requisitions Officer," Hannibal added with a touch of sarcasm. The camel beamed, completely ignoring his boss' less than sincere tone.

"That's right. I'm the Face of this outfit and the dromedary you talk to when you need something in a pinch. Speaking of: Miss Hopps, you are out of uniform!" Judy balked a little, glancing down at her plaid shirt and jeans. Crossing her arms in front of herself, she shifted from foot to foot self consciously.

"Well, this is all I could get," she said defensively. Face waved her off, reaching down to grab an olive green satchel from the ground by his chair. His bright blue eyes sparkled as he held it out for Judy to grab.

"Like I said: if you need something, I can get it for you!" bragged the camel. The rabbit carefully took the satchel from his hoof. When she opened the zipper and pulled out what was inside, she was surprised to find it was a long sleeved digital camo shirt. It even looked like her size. Digging into the satchel she found a complete set of BDUs, including boots, pants, and a couple of shirts.

When Judy looked up from the bag, she found Face grinning at her. He was clearly enjoying the surprised look on her face. She swallowed and managed a smile.

"Lieutenant, I don't know how to thank you." The camel waved her off again, pleased.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll send you a bill." Face and Judy shared a smile, before the camel's gaze was diverted to Nick. Judy looked over and watched the fox as he stepped around the ungulate's long legs. He stopped once he was standing a respectful distance from the other occupied chair. A ukulele across his lap and wearing a tropical print shirt with matching shorts, the mammal looked a little out of place. In spite of his colorful garb he had only been an unhappy shadow so far, staying quiet with his arms crossed and head turned away.

"Murdoc." Nick's smile and voice were both diplomatic. The wolf snorted, disdain written clearly across his features. He made no other motions to acknowledge the fox. Nick tried again.

"I'm sorry I attacked you. I hope you know why I did it." When his apology went ignored, the fox looked at Hannibal for help. When the colonel noticed his gaze he held his paw out like he was holding a handle. Then he mimed a brief swing and a stab. Nick's eyes slid back to the unresponsive lupine.

"I'm sorry I took your knife, Murdoc." _That_ got a reaction. The wolf's head snapped towards Nick, glaring ferociously.

"I _don't care_ that you took my knife! What I care about is that you _tossed her!_ Just-Just threw her aside like she was garbage! MY DARLA!" Murdoc's tirade ended with him leaning forward, paws clenching the cheap aluminum armrests of his lawnchair. Nick let the wolf's anger wash over him, then tried again.

"I'm sorry I threw your knife," the tod said, trying to impart some sincerity to his words. Murdoc threw his arms up in frustration.

"Why are you telling _me_!? Darla's the one you have to apologise to!" The wolf grabbed his ukelele and stood, stomping off to his tent. Nick looked at Hannibal for more guidance. The old fox just motioned for him to stay where he was. Then Nick looked at Face. The camel favored the confused fox with a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry. Just play along and he'll work it out of his system. Then we can all move on." Nick took the advice and waited patiently for Murdoc to return. Less than a minute later the wolf was back, a familiar machete swinging in his paw. He walked right up to Nick and thrust the blade out, holding it parallel to his chest. Nick flinched in surprise and took a step back from the big knife. The fox eyed the crazy wolf carefully. Murdoc did nothing but hold the machete where Nick could see it. The tod stepped up to the blade, eyeing it carefully. The wolf impatiently rolled his eyes.

"Say you're sorry!" he demanded. Nick's eyes jumped from the reflective metal in front of his snout to Murdoc's face, eyebrows raised. Seeing that the wolf was completely serious, he resigned himself. Feeling ridiculous, the fox leaned towards the sharpened edge.

"I'm very sorry for throwing you, uh," Nick floundered, trying to remember what Murdoc had named the blade. He must have taken too long, because the wolf growled at him.

"Darla," Murdoc prompted.

"Darla! You-You're a very nice machete. You certainly never deserved to get thrown away like garbage. I apologise." Nick did his very best to sound sincere. Looking very pleased with himself, Murdoc pulled the blade away. Cradling the machete to his chest like it was a child, the wolf turned and walked off.

"Come, Billy! There is much to do!" Murdoc called over his shoulder as he walked. Hannibal and Judy appeared at his side as Nick stared after the eccentric soldier, completely bemused.

" _That_ , ladies and gentlemammals, is Captain H. M. Murdoc. The best pilot around and a damn fine soldier to boot. Don't let him fool you, he has personally saved my life and the lives of Alpha Team on multiple occasions. Face!" The camel jerked in his chair, gaze snapping to Hannibal.

"Yeah, Boss?" Hannibal pointed towards where Murdoc had occupied a small clearing between some of the tents. The crazy wolf was swinging his machete around, shouting about radioactive turtles and their terrible movies.

"Grab Murdoc before he hurts himself and get moving. We have thirty hours to set up our surprise for the General. I'd hate to disappoint her." The camel nodded, jumping from his chair to carry out his orders.

"On it!" Face said as he ran by. Hannibal turned towards where Baracus was hanging out by his van, polishing some chrome trim with a rag.

"B. A.! You're with Face!" the fox shouted. The bull tucked the rag into a back pocket and turned to follow after the camel, raising a hoof in Hannibal's direction to confirm he heard. The colonel turned away, beckoning Nick and Judy to follow.

"C'mon, you two. We're gonna grab some things from my tent and head down to the Track. Hope you're ready to work hard." The two made agreeing sounds, but both were too distracted by what had just happened to muster a lot of enthusiasm. Judy looked up at Nick as they walked, violet eyes wide with confusion.

"Who's Billy?"

* * *

An hour later found the trio at the Track, which turned out to be a series of training fields built for the soldiers to keep in shape while they were garrisoned. Since the Zootopia Disaster Response was supposed to be a temporary operation the fields weren't very developed. Really, they were just a series of areas that were roped off and marked for certain uses. This one for weight training, this one for calisthenics, this one for unarmed combat practice, etc.

Hannibal had lead them straight to the field marked for target practice. It was the best equipped by far, but it was still just a long string of tables on one side and a series of metal targets on the other.

The colonel's intent was to get Judy and Nick comfortable with firearms and figure out the limits of Nick's preternatural vision. It didn't take long to figure out that the red fox could hit whatever he wanted on that particular range with whatever gun he wanted. Pistols and rifles were easy, while submachine guns took a few tries to get right as their bullets were way less accurate. Still, it wasn't long before Nick was hitting the bull's eye every time.

Annoyingly, the soldiers around them noticed. It wouldn't be so bad, except that some of these mammals then demanded Nick compete with them in an effort to prove who the best really was. Hannibal, sensing opportunity, agreed on the red fox's behalf, but only if Nick could use their equipment. They readily agreed and Nick went off to try every type of firearm that he could get his paws on.

Meanwhile, Hannibal was now free to share some of his considerable wisdom on the subject of projectile weapons with his rabbit charge. Judy was too small to use anything that might be considered a rifle, so they focused on the use of pistols. Her stance was perfect and her aim was decent. The colonel showed her a few tips and tricks for improving her aim, then he started working on her ability to shoot accurately while on the move. It was extremely important that she develop the ability quickly, as it was essential to their plan that she perform well in this regard.

An hour later and Hannibal decided that Judy was doing well enough to get by. They gathered his equipment and went to retrieve Nick, only to find their way blocked by a substantial crowd of excited soldiers.

Now the two stood outside of the group, both laden with satchels containing the guns and remaining ammo that the colonel had brought with them to the range.

Judy, wearing the fatigues gifted to her by Face and a set of earmuffs to protect her sensitive hearing, looked up at the backs of the mammals that made up the crowd. They were larger mammals like lions, zebra and buffalo. There was even a hippo. She turned to face Hannibal, who glanced down at her in response. He read her annoyed expression perfectly.

"He's in the middle of that, isn't he?" The question was rhetorical. The rabbit still nodded. Hannibal reached out and took the bag Judy was carrying, motioning towards the crowd with his other paw. "Go get him." Nodding her acknowledgement, Judy darted into the crowd. Years of living in the crowded Zootopia served her well, the lithe rabbit slipping between the larger mammals with an ease that she couldn't have imagined when she first arrived in the city.

Within a few moments the bunny had passed through the crowd. She walked out from between two lynxes, violet eyes landing on a familiar shade of red. Nick was turned away from her, facing down range. There was a black 9mm pistol on a table in front of him, barrel pointed down range. The fox suddenly raised his left paw, three shiny brass cartridges held between his knuckles. The crowd hushed and Judy paused on her way towards him. The red furred arm cocked back, then swept forward, flinging the three pieces of ammo downrange. As soon as his left paw was free it darted downwards. Snatching the pistol from the table, Nick raised the piece and took aim at the flying ammunition.

The pistol kicked with a bang and then the cartridges went off with a rapid series of pops. It was so fast that it almost seemed to happen all at once.

Nick's head jerked back slightly, a single spent casing landing at his feet. His left paw slowly placed the pistol back on the table. The crowd took a collective breath and Judy gasped as the fox turned toward them. Nick grinned triumphantly, a shiny copper slug clenched between his incisors. Judy watched, stunned, as Nick reached up with his left paw and grabbed the bullet from between his teeth. He held it aloft so everyone could see.

"Ha! Pay up!"


	26. Preparing for the Future

"Ha! Pay up!" Nick crowed. The crowd erupted into raucous cheering and applause. Several mammals broke from the small horde and hurried past Judy. She watched her fox's cocky grin get even bigger as the excited soldiers surrounded him to offer congratulations and jostle him with a few well-meant shoves.

A leopard in all black stepped past Judy, followed by a jaguar and cheetah in identical attire. The way the other soldiers went quiet and still at their approach filled Judy with a sense of dread. Their presence seemed to suck the joy right out of every mammal present. Every mammal except Nick, of course.

Cocky smile still firmly in place, the tod stepped from the circle of admirers. With a flourish and a bow, Nick held out the bullet he picked from his teeth so the three cats could see.

"Captain Panjah, my _esteemed colleague_ , I do believe this is yours," simpered the fox. The leopard's whiskers twitched in annoyance at the antics, but he reached out anyway. Nick closed his paw just before the big cat could grab the bullet. Straightening from his bow, he favored the scowling feline with his most genial smile. "And you may have it, of course. Once you provide your forfeit." The fox tilted his head and cocked a brow, finger and thumb rubbing together in the universal sign for 'cash'.

The leopard snorted, tail lashing.

"I will _not_ pay, cheat." The leopard had an accent Judy had never heard before. It put a lot of emphasis on the 't's. Nick, the business savvy fox that he was, didn't bother with getting upset or annoyed.

"Now, how can you say that? Did you not witness the event with your own eyes? Remember, I used _your_ pistol and _your_ ammunition to perform my little feat. How could I cheat?" The vulpine's voice was smooth and relaxed, the epitome of reasonable. Judy admired how easy, how natural the fox made it look. She knew she wouldn't be that carefree if a hundred fifty pound cat was glaring down at her.

"You were facing away. You put the bullet in your mouth with your other paw." There was that accent again. It made the cat's voice sound heavy and flat. Nick smiled disarmingly, spreading his paws out a little to show he had nothing to hide.

"With all of these soldiers watching? Surely _one_ of them would have spotted me if I had. Look, I know it _might_ seem like a lot, but you _did_ agree to pay. You're not going to make liars out of the Long Range Division, are you?" The mention of his unit only seemed to rile the leopard up. Baring his teeth, Panjah jabbed a digit towards Nick's face.

"LoRDs are not liars! You are _a cheat_ , fox!" The soldiers around them began to shift and mutter amongst themselves. The leopard's silent companions looked around coolly, taking in the crowd's reaction. Judy tensed, feeling the tension beginning to rise. Nick tried to diffuse the situation.

"Now, let's be reasonable. Whatever happened to 'honor amongst predators?'" Judy had only an instant to wonder if that was a real thing before the irate cat retorted.

"You are _not_ a predator! _I'm_ a predator. _You_ are just a filthy pelt!" he spat. Judy felt her hackles rise at the insult. Calling another mammal a 'pelt' meant that their only value was in their fur. In other words: they were worthless.

"Hey!" The rabbit made herself known, stepping from the edge of the crowd. She walked to a surprised Nick's side before she spun to face the condescending leopard. The rabbit tore her ear protection off and glared at the big cat. Many eyebrows were raised at the sight of the little bunny standing up to the comparatively huge Captain Panjah. "How _dare you_ call Nick a 'pelt!?' You might just be a predator, but he's more than that! He's a genuine hero. _You,_ on the other paw, are just a blowhard that welches on his bets!" Some of soldiers watching the spectacle 'ooh'ed.' Panjah leaned back, looking like he stepped in something foul. He turned his attention back to Nick.

"You let a _little female_ fight for you? Where's your pride?" Nick, who had been staring at Judy like she was something he'd never seen before, glanced up at the leopard. The fox wiped the gobsmacked look from his face, and put on his most cocky smile.

"I'll have you know that this _little female_ happens to have a certificate in badassery. She's put mammals a lot bigger than you right on their tails. So watch what you start or she might just finish it." Hearing Nick's absolute confidence in her made Judy feel about three feet taller, and it showed. Her chest puffed out and a defiant smirk spread across her face. She glared at Panjah, eyes full of challenge.

The big cat spotted the bunny's look and glared back. Dark thoughts raged behind his eyes: _Does this_ _ **rodent**_ _think she can fight_ _ **me**_? _I am the_ _ **predator elite!**_ _Time to show these_ _ **vermin**_ _their place._

Quicker than most would believe possible the leopard darted forward, teeth coming together with a snap, right in front of Judy's nose.

Now, the reaction Captain Panjah _expected_ to see was different from the one he actually _got_. He _expected_ the little doe to flinch back, eyes filled with fear. What he _got_ was a kick to his chin powerful enough to snap his head back. Stumbling back a step, he was caught by his companions before he could fall.

The crowd erupted again. Some were cheering, but most heckled the leopard.

"Ooh! How'd that taste, Poonjab!?"

"Got your bell rung by a bunny!"

"So much for the big, bad predator!"

All these, and other, less polite taunts and jabs were hurled at Panjah by the soldiers around them. Shaking his head, the leopard tore himself from the two other cats' grip. He snarled at the bunny that had humiliated him. Claws unsheathed and he held his paw out, ready to attack.

Judy tensed, still in the low combat stance she had taken when the cat snapped at her. The bunny prepared herself for what promised to be a very difficult fight.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" A voice that was more commanding than loud quieted the rowdy soldiers. The two combatants broke their locked gazes to stare at a gray fox as he walked from the crowd. Hannibal stopped just between them, face twisted in annoyance as he took in the two.

The colonel stared Panjah down first. The leopard scowled while he retracted his claws, dropping his paws to his sides. Then the powerful glare fell on Judy. She popped into a fully erect posture, arms straight down, back stiff and ears cocked.

"Hopps, why didn't you retrieve Wilde as ordered?" His stern taskmaster's voice would have made her drill instructor from the academy blush with envy. It certainly made Judy feel like a fresh recruit.

"H-Hannibal-" The gray fox's brows drew just a little closer together, but that was all she needed to know that now was _not_ the time for being familiar. "E-Er, Colonel Smith, sir, I was distracted!" The mention of a colonel in their midst sent most of the watching soldiers scurrying off as quickly and as quietly as they could, desperate to not get caught in any potential fallout.

Hannibal leaned back, his glare smoothing over into an icy stare. Somehow, that was worse.

"You were distracted." It wasn't a question. Judy nodded, a touch frantic.

"Yes, sir!" she squeaked. Just a little. The veteran raised a brow, then glanced over at Panjah. The leopard's face was smoothed into a blank mask, eyes forward. Hannibal regarded him coolly for a moment before he turned back to the nervous rabbit.

"I see." Judy felt like she was going to pull something with how tense she was under the colonel's steady gaze. Eventually his ash colored eyes flicked to something behind her. "What's wrong with Wilde?"

"Sir? I don't..." Turning to follow his gaze, Judy was shocked into silence by what she saw. Nick was clutching his head with both paws, shoulders hunched. Lips were pulled back in a grimace, revealing tightly clenched teeth. The fox's eyes were screwed shut and it looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Instantly forgetting everything else, Judy stepped up to Nick. She placed a paw on his elbow, gently trying to get his attention.

"Nick? What's wrong?"

The fox flinched at her touch. He turned his head towards the sound of her voice, but his eyes stayed closed.

"Eyes hurt. Everything's _too bright_. Need my shades." Nick ground out between clenched teeth. Judy nodded. She thought she understood what was happening. Her enhanced hearing had been debilitatingly painful at first. Though something confused the rabbit. Nick's eyes had been changed for four days already. What had caused the pain to flare up _now?_

Just then Judy caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Panjah was walking around the duo, making sure to keep a respectful distance. He stopped before the table where Nick had performed his stunt. Reaching out a paw, he retrieved his pistol. After a quick, but thorough inspection, he holstered the weapon on his hip.

When the black clad Captain turned, he found Judy still watching him. A look of disgust passed over his face. The bunny shot him a glare that let him know that she felt the same. She turned her attention back to Nick, and did her best to ignore Panjah as he left with his companions. Now it was just Judy and the two foxes.

Hannibal moved to join them, studying Nick intently. It sure didn't _look_ like he was faking injury, though none was evident.

"You fit for action, soldier?" This was important. They only had a day to prepare their demonstration for General Wolfdun. If their star attraction was out of commision their plan to get Judy and Nick out of Biao's clutches would be sunk.

Nick straightened a little at the sound of the colonel's voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just- I need my shades." The red fox forced himself to relax. He straightened his back and lowered his arms. He took the opportunity to place a paw around Judy's shoulders.

Hannibal sighed, exasperated. He reached into the breast pocket of his white jacket and pulled out a set of sunglasses. Holding them out for Judy to take, he addressed the younger tod.

"Wilde, I'm lending you my specs. These things have survived with me through a war. You treat them with respect. They end up like my BDUs and Biao will be the _least_ of your problems. Understood?" While the veteran explained, Judy had directed Nick to bend down so she could balance the sunglasses on his snout. Straightening, the tod cracked his eyes open. Wincing a little, he found the late morning light just on the bearable side. He straightened the shades with a paw as he finally zeroed in on Hannibal.

"Don't worry, boss. I'll treat them with the reverence that any object associated with you so clearly deserves." Nick managed to sound a little more like his usual sarcastic self, though his voice was still strained.

Hannibal rolled his eyes at the less-than-respectful reply. Then he glared lightly at the other fox.

"You'd better, smartass. Now, if you're done being useless, we need to get back to work. You _are_ done being useless, aren't you?" The veteran's sarcastic tone was apt to match or beat Nick's own.

The red fox's lips quirked into the start of a sly smile.

"All done being useless, boss. Scouts' Honor." Nick raised the paw that wasn't around Judy, pinky and thumb touching in the iconic salute.

Hannibal eyed the younger tod, eyebrow raised. After a moment, he turned and walked away. The duo followed, Nick's paw on Judy's shoulder the only thing that kept him going in a straight line.

* * *

It was just before ten when they returned to camp. After Hannibal's gear was stowed away, the trio headed for Baracus' tent. It was the largest of the four tents by far, having three different sections. A small (for a bison) sleeping/changing area, a work space, and a place to park his van out of the weather.

The soldier himself was in the work space. It was set up like a small shop, though it was really just two folding tables laden with a wide variety of tools. The brown furred soldier was bent over one of the tables, working on something. The table tops were too high off the ground for any of the three to see what it was he was doing.

"B. A.! Where's the rest of the team?" The bison didn't look up from his work.

"They off hustling for parts. It ain't easy building 'surprises' like this from scratch, boss!" Baracus' surly voice convinced Judy and Nick to stop at the edge of the tent. Hannibal continued without concern, coming to a stop right next to the work table.

"Status report." The colonel's voice was flat, but still carried an edge that demanded compliance. The bison grunted mildly, then placed the soldering iron he had been using on its stand. He turned and gave his CO his full attention.

"Sir, I'd say we got about half of what we need. The hardware shouldn't be a problem, but setting up a control board for this junks gonna be a real bastard. That's even if I can find one big enough to run a whole damn course!" Baracus brought his hoof down on the table with a bang, rattling the dozens of tools littered over its surface. Judy and Nick both flinched at the noise. Hannibal didn't even twitch. He regarded his subordinate with the same cool calm he always had.

"You've done harder things than this with less resources before. You're not even under fire. You're the best damn mechanic around. Now _act like it_. _Get it done._ " The two glared at eachother for a second. Baracus backed down first. Someone else called out just the sergeant returned to his work.

"Hey! I know a guy." A fully recovered Nick spoke up from his place by Judy at the edge of the tent. Hannibal and the bull both turned to face him. The colonel lifted a dark gray eye-brow.

"You know a guy?" he prompted. Nick smirked in response, adjusting his borrowed shades in a conceited manner.

"I know a guy. Deals in all kinds of electronics and gizmos. Dirt cheap. Vacuum cleaners to motherboards, chances are he's got what we need. Unless you're looking for real high-end stuff. Then I know another guy, but it _will not_ be cheap," he explained.

"Can you get the goods in the next two hours?" Hannibal asked. Nick shrugged lightly.

"Give me a cell and I can have him on the line in twenty seconds." Nick looked up at Baracus. "Hey, big guy. If you talk to him, think you can explain exactly what you need?"

"Hell yeah. This is basic stuff," the bull answered without hesitation. Hannibal dug a flip phone out of his jacket and tossed it at Nick. The younger tod snatched the device out of the air, then instantly flipped it open and began to type in a number.

Baracus, Hannibal and the all but forgotten Judy watched as Nick raised the phone to his ear. After a few seconds waiting under their attentive eyes, the tod began speaking.

"Hey, Spazz! It's Nick Wilde." A beat as Nick listened to the response.

"It _has_ been awhile. How's Delilah?" Another pause.

"That's too bad. She was a looker. Listen, remember that time I _didn't_ come over there and bust your ass down to the station?" The smile that spread across the fox's muzzle could best be described as impish.

"Well, I _could_ keep not doing that. That is, if you did me one small favor…"

* * *

After three hours and a few stops in town, the six mammals (Alpha Team plus Nick and Judy) were hard at work building their surprise for General Wolfdun. They had gotten permission to set up in an empty field near the Track. Several piles of cheap lumber lay spread out across their little construction site. Another pile of salvaged electric motors, scrap metal and rubber pulleys lay next to Baracus' van.

As the sun began to wane, the 'surprise' began to take shape.

A straight path about a hundred feet long and four feet wide was marked with a few simple stakes. At the start of the line an eight foot high wall stood along the right side, made of four sections. Every eight foot wide section had a three foot wide gap between them.

Where the wall came to an end a hut was built over the path, twelve feet high and wide. Every crack in the walls and ceiling was sealed with duct tape. When the two simple doors were closed, it was pitch black on the inside.

On the other side of the hut, on the right side of the path, was a three sided stall, six feet wide, four feet deep and eight feet tall.

Beyond the stall was another wall, though this one was built perpendicular to the track. It was split in two, with the eight foot square sections on either side of the path.

The entire setup was made from plywood screwed to two-by-four frames. Even as simple as the construction was, it still took them until nightfall to complete. They didn't have time to wait around for daybreak, so they broke out some flashlights, Baracus turned on his van's headlights, and they kept working.

The next phase was to build various accoutrements for the course. While Murdoc's technical ability was impressive, it was Baracus' skill that really shown. He used disparate parts like salvaged electric motors, pulleys, and rubber belts to build fully functional moving targets, powered doors and pitching machines.

While the work was moving faster than either Judy or Nick could believe, they still weren't quite halfway done when Hannibal took them aside at 3 A.M. Now they stood in the shadow of Baracus' van, the dark a stark contrast to the brightness of the headlights.

"Hey, you guys have been a lot of help, but I need you to do something else for me," Hannibal started as he eyed the two mammals before him. The usually tireless Judy was beginning to wilt. Nick just looked exhausted. The two had been playing go-fors for Baracus and the rest of the team for over twelve hours now, and it showed. The colonel was glad to say they had done the tasks assigned to them diligently and without complaint (if you didn't count Nick's frequent snarks).

Seeing the two perk up and really pay attention made Hannibal smile.

"I need you two to get some sleep." Seeing the two wilt in confusion made him smile a little bit more.

"But-But, Hannibal, there's still so much to do-," the veteran held up a paw, cutting Judy's objection off. His smile disappeared and he favored her with a look that made it clear he wasn't going to be questioned.

"Yeah, there's a lot to do, but _why_ are we doing all this? So that _you two_ can impress the General tomorrow. How are you supposed to do that if you're dead on your feet, Hopps?" He looked at her coolly, his raised brow daring her to respond. The bunny looked away, shifting from foot to foot ashamedly. It didn't feel right to rest while other mammals toiled on her behalf. Nick put a paw on her back, rubbing it briefly to soothe her. He smiled down at her when she looked up at him.

"C'mon, Carrots. You know he's right," he said. Judy looked away. Nick watched as the rabbit chewed her lip briefly, then nodded. Seeing her agree, he turned back to the colonel.

"Alright, Hannibal, thanks. Do you think Baracus would mind if we conked out in the van?" Nick _did not_ want to walk back to camp right now. He was relieved when the grey fox shook his head.

"Go for it. Just stay out of the driver's seat. B. A. will take it personally if he finds you in it." Hannibal waved at them from over his shoulder as he turned to go back to work. Judy waved until he disappeared around the corner of the van, then looked up at Nick. The fox looked back down at her. They spent a moment just looking at each other, the need for sleep evident on each other's faces. Finally, Nick jerked his head towards the van.

"You heard the Colonel. Time for some shut eye." The tod turned towards the van and Judy followed. Stopping only long enough to take off their boots, they climbed into the van. After a moment they were in the passenger seat. Meant for large mammals like Baracus, the seat was easily big enough to fit the fox and rabbit three times over.

Nick sank to the cushion with a grateful sigh. He curled up on his side, already half way asleep when he noticed Judy had not joined him. Cracking an eye open, he spotted the bunny standing on the edge of the seat. She was pressed up on her toes, neck straining to look over the dashboard. Green eyes rolled tiredly in their sockets before a dark furred paw reached up and grabbed the back of her shirt.

Judy let out a squeak as she was pulled off her feet. She suddenly found herself wrapped up in red fur and green fatigues; Nick's body curled around her in a warm, protective embrace. She huffed, annoyed with the fox for pulling such an undignified sound out of her. Still, she _was_ tired, and he _was_ comfortable. She shifted her body a little, settled herself in.

"Judy?" Nick spoke up just as she closed her eyes. His voice was unusually quiet, even taking into account how tired they both were. The sound of her name made the bunny's eyes open. She raised her head just a little, watching him as best she could in the dark.

"Nick? What is it?" She asked softly. The tod didn't move or even open his eyes. For a moment she suspected he had fallen asleep, until he opened his mouth again.

"What you said earlier… To that Panjah guy…" He shifted then, one green eye slid open to watch her. "Do you really think I'm a hero?" Being vulnerable was something that Nick always fought against, but there was no denying the tremor in his voice.

Judy stared at him in shock while her eyebrows shot up, almost to her ears. After a second, her face relaxed. She smiled and shook her head, exasperated. Finally, she pushed herself up and leaned over so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

"I don't _think_ you're a hero, I _know_ you are. Dumb fox, why would you ask something so stupid?" Okay, so _maybe_ she could have said that different, but she really _was_ tired. Speaking of…

Nick smiled as Judy snuggled into him, burying her face in the fur on his neck. He wrapped his arms around her again. One paw slid around her slim shoulders as the other gently cupped the back of her head. He took a deep breath and treasured how her scent invaded his senses.

"I love you…" Nick's quiet declaration came out as a sigh, too quiet for most mammals to hear. Judy wasn't most mammals. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and secure in her fox's embrace.


	27. Speedbumps on the Road to Success

It was mid-morning in the Meadowlands. Sunlight, pure and unfiltered, cast everything in a gentle warmth. Grass and flowers swayed in the spring breeze.

In a certain black van, a fox and a rabbit were curled up on the passenger seat. The tod was on his side, arms wrapped loosely around the much smaller doe. She had her face pressed into the soft, cream colored fur covering his throat. Arms curled between their bodies, long ears draped over her vulpine companion's paws. Legs and a long, bushy tail were tangled together. Their faces were relaxed as they slept, utterly content. The situation was idyllic and serene… Until a thundering voice ruined it all.

"THE _HELL_ YOU DOIN'!?"

Nick bolted upright on reflex. His eyes snapped open as he came to, only to have the bright sunlight stab into his sockets like burning daggers. His paws flew up to cover his face as he fell back with a groan.

A frazzled Judy blinked confusedly from where she clung to the tod's chest. After taking a moment to gather herself, she looked around for whatever had woken them up so rudely.

The cause was easy to spot. A familiar bison leaned over from the driver seat, his face set into a glare.

"Baracus? What's wrong?" she asked sleepily. The sergeant grimaced as he pointed at a spot on the seat next to them.

"I'll tell ya' what's wrong! Your chump boyfriend here drooled on my upholstery!" Judy pushed herself up off Nick's chest so she could look at where Baracus was pointing. Sure enough, there was a small wet spot. It was barely visible on the black cloth, but it was there. The bunny sighed. Well, guess she couldn't blame him for being annoyed. She had only known him for a short time, but it was obvious that the bovine soldier took a great deal of pride in his van. She looked up at the glaring bison.

"I'm sorry Nick drooled on your seat. Do you want me to clean it up?" Judging from the pitiful moans coming from the fox in question, he wasn't going to be doing it any time soon. Baracus snorted angrily.

" _I'll_ clean it. You wouldn't do it right, anyway. Get out. Hannibal wants ya." Judy grimaced a little, disappointed with herself for upsetting a mammal that had worked really hard to help them out. Still, best to just to do what he said. She gave the bison a meek nod, then started the process of getting Nick up.

With some gentle guidance, she managed to get the fox out of the van. As they were putting their boots on, they noticed that the side door was open. A curious Judy couldn't help but look inside. The first thing she saw was a dirty, scuffed up Face. The camel was asleep front down on the carpeted floor, head resting on his arm. Further inspection found a similarly rough-looking Murdoc stretched out on the bench, lost to the world with tongue lolled out of his muzzle. As she watched, Baracus put away the cloth he used to clean up after them. Then he reclined his chair, leaned back, put his hooves in his lap and closed his eyes. He was out in seconds.

Gratitude stirred behind her breast. Obviously, these soldiers had worked very hard on Nick's and her behalf. She wondered if there was anything she could do for them, something to pay them back for all of their generosity.

The bunny was so wrapped up in her contemplation that she jumped when something touched her back. She looked over her shoulder, and found Nick looking down at her through his shades. It was just one of the things they had picked up from town yesterday.

"You heard Sergeant Cranky Cow. We need to find Hannibal," he reminded. Judy nodded. It took just a second to locate the colonel with her hearing, so the bunny led the way. The duo found the older fox in front of a structure that had not existed when they went to sleep. It was a simple table with a plywood top and two-by-four legs, strategically placed to see the rest of the course in profile. A mess of wires came off the back, then spread out to the various contraptions Baracus had built. The table itself was three feet high, so the colonel was forced to stand on an overturned bucket to reach what was on top.

A gray furred ear twitched towards the pair as they approached. Hannibal, a pair of smoky aviators balanced on his muzzle, glanced at them from over his shoulder. He turned back to whatever he was doing before.

"Good, you're here. Everything's all set up, so it's time to get started," he started without preamble. "We only have a few hours before the General gets here, so no time to waste. We'll start with a few dry runs, get you familiar with the course. Once you get the hang of it, we'll move on to live ammunition. Got that?" The colonel spoke tersely and without looking at them, apparently too absorbed with what his paws were doing.

The duo came to a stop next to Hannibal just as he finished talking. Nick quirked a brow from behind his mirrored aviators.

"And a fine 'good morning' to _you_ , Colonel!" His cheerful greeting earned him an annoyed look from Judy. Hannibal's response was more measured. He straightened, then pushed up his shades with a paw so he could rub his eyes.

"Heh, maybe once I get some coffee. 'Till then it's just 'morning.'" He dropped his paw so he could favor the two with a friendly, if a little tired, smirk. "Hope you're ready to kick some ass." His voice, while just as tired as before, was now challenging. In a friendly way. Nick's smirk didn't change, but Judy, always up for a challenge, smiled sunnily back at Hannibal. The pair saluted the colonel.

"Yes, Sir!"

* * *

Judy, ever eager, volunteered to go first.

The rabbit stood at the starting line, body tense. She leaned forward, a toe just barely separated from the white line spray painted on the ground. A pistol was held at the ready in a two pawed grip. The bunny was the embodiment of energy _in potentia._

Hannibal stood on his bucket at the control table. For now, the somewhat complicated, if outdated, control board was being ignored. Instead, he held a simple black electronic stopwatch in one paw, and a pencil poised over a notepad in the other.

Nick had volunteered to get coffee while they dialed in the settings for Judy, but not before Hannibal had ordered the younger fox to return within half-an-hour, coffee or no coffee.

The colonel cleared his throat, and the rabbit leaned just a little farther forward.

"Go!" Hannibal shouted while his thumb clicked the 'start' button on the stopwatch. Judy was off like a shot. She ran next to the wall like she would run down a hallway, checking the gaps like she would clear rooms.

The first gap was marked simply, "Aim - A" spray painted on the wall. Judy skid to a stop, pistol raised. Beyond the opening were three target stands holding up simple bull's eyes. Though she did not fire, she lined up each target as fast as she could. Then she was off, repeating the process with the other simulated rooms, "Aim - B" and "Aim - C".

Hannibal dutifully wrote down numbers as he carefully recorded how long it took the energetic rabbit to reach each station. When the bunny entered the aptly named "Black Box," just under ten seconds had passed.

Judy's head swiveled around as she entered the square shack, trying to locate the targets inside. While some light streamed in through the open doors, it was still a challenge to see anything clearly in the shadowy corners of the room. It took longer than she would have liked for her eyes to adjust. Still, it was only a few seconds before she was confident she had found and locked in each target.

The second to last feature was only a few yards away, and Judy was there in a flash. A gate made of plywood was open, and the rabbit stopped before it like it was closed. A glance to her right showed that someone had spray painted 'The Cage' across the stall's back wall. A glance to her left showed four pitching machines, two brand name and two improvised. Since the pitching machines were not powered up, Judy counted to five in her head. That done, the rabbit ran through the open gate toward the final obstacle, the walls built on either side of the path.

The right wall was blank, except for a surprisingly accurate and detailed spray paint portrait of Judy's smiling face spread out across its surface.

The left side was covered in metal, a dozen steel targets the size and shape of dinner plates set on irregular tracks. Judy stopped at the designated line, lined up each target, then ran through the gap between the two walls.

Nearly thirty feet beyond there was a wood post with a large red button. The heavy, industrial 'Emergency Shut-off' kind. The bunny gave a light hop and slapped the red button as she sailed past it.

Hannibal thumbed the 'Start/Stop' button on his stopwatch and wrote down the final time on his notepad: 27.76 seconds. He nodded to himself. That was a decent time, without actually using the automated features. Now, they needed to activate the features at the lowest setting, and then try again.

Judy had just begun to walk towards the control table when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned towards the walls at the end of the course and was surprised to find that the backs of the walls mirrored the fronts. The right wall had another spray paint portrait, this time of Nick wearing his usual sly smile. And the left wall…

The bunny's eyes widened as she gaped, open mouthed, at the six targets on tracks _she had completely missed!_ This state of calm only lasted a second before she threw her arms down, and stomped a powerful foot in to the dirt. She barely held back a scream of frustration.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Rookie mistake! How could you miss an entire WALL of targets!? You dumb bunny!_

All these thoughts and more ran through through the rabbit's mind as she stomped her way back to the control desk. Hannibal raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him. With barely a break in her stride, she hopped high enough to slap her borrowed sidearm on the plywood table top.

As his charge stormed away, the colonel carefully grabbed the pistol. He held the piece with both paws, studied it intently for a moment. Then he spoke.

"You know, if this pistol was loaded, we could have had a _real_ problem." Hannibal's soft, icy voice froze Judy in her tracks. It hit her like a lightning bolt that she had just _completely_ mistreated a firearm in front of her _de facto_ commanding officer. The realization brought a wave of panic that instantly overcame her frustration. The doe spun to face the fox, face twisted with fear. Even though he did not turn to face her, his tense shoulders and bristled fur let her know that he was _not_ happy.

"Hann-, uh, I mean, Colonel Smith, sir! I am _so sorry-_ " Her slightly desperate apology (Judy Hopps did _not_ grovel, no matter what a certain red fox might say) was cut off by a loud sigh. Hannibal's shoulders slumped, and there came a slight _thunk_ as he placed the pistol back on the table. He remained silent, and Judy shifted anxiously as she waited for him to speak. The grey fox finally turned to face her. He pulled off his shades, folded them up in one paw and tucked them into the breast pocket of his jacket. He pinned her with a stern look, but it lacked the heat of a true glare.

"Why don't you tell me what's got you so knotted up?" It was anything but a suggestion. Judy swallowed.

"Uh, well…" She couldn't help looking away for second, but she managed to wrest her eyes back on to his. "I sort of… missed the last targets. On the back of the wall. The one with my face..?" she trailed off, not sure what else to say.

Hannibal raised a brow at her, but didn't say or do anything else. His gaze held hers for over a minute as he considered.

As the seconds ticked _slowly, painfully_ away, Judy wished the veteran would do _something. Anything_ was better than this awful, quiet stillness. Eventually, he tilted his head.

"Is beating yourself up not good enough? Do you want me to punish you? What's it going to take for you to get past this _now?_ " His pointed questions made Judy feel like a fool, and she flushed from the embarrassment of it all. Her gaze fell as her nerve finally gave out. A booted foot toed the dirt.

"I'm past it. I'm ready to go back to work. Right now," she meekly replied. Hannibal eyed the contrite bunny for another moment before he nodded.

"Good. Get in position. We're going to start testing the equipment. And pay attention! Can't have you moping around because you missed anymore targets."

* * *

**Forty minutes later...**

"I distinctly remember saying you had thirty minutes." Hannibal, who was still standing on the bucket in front of the control table, glanced down at the red fox standing next to him. Nick, who was holding four styrofoam cups, one in each paw and two clutched between his right arm and his chest, glanced up from where he had been watching Judy sprint through their improvised obstacle course. The younger fox favored his elder with his usual casual smirk.

"Two of these are for you," Nick said, as though that explained everything. "And do you know how hard it is to find carrot juice in a base of mostly predators and large prey? It cost me twenty dollars just to get directions!" he griped good naturedly. Hannibal rolled his eyes and turned back to where Judy was firing on the wall that bore her resemblance.

"Fine. Next time you're late, I'm going to introduce you to a new PT drill. It's called a 'Heart Attack'. Want to know why?" The colonel felt some satisfaction at Nick's grimace.

"'Cause it makes you feel like you're going to die?" he guessed.

"Hopps is right. You _are_ smarter than you look." Hannibal's smirk was cruel and playful, like a cat toying with a mouse. After a little shuffling, the red fox managed to get all four of the cups on the table. He turned to the colonel, saluted him sharply.

"I will endeavor to meet all of our appointments promptly, Sir!" There was just a _smidge_ of sass in his otherwise perfect response, but Hannibal figured that was probably going to be the case for everything Nick did. The veteran grabbed one of the coffees, brought it to his lips, tilted his head back, and drained the entire cup in one long draught. He placed the empty styrofoam container back on the table with an appreciative sigh. He looked back to the still saluting red fox.

"Get prepped. We are going to start where you would be if you had been on time. That means you're going to run the course at full capacity."

* * *

Nick stood at the starting line, an assault rifle butted up against his shoulder. It was identical to the one he had used in his flight from Inga's ambush. It conjured memories of that terrible night: of running in the dark; of being chased; of watching bullets pierce flesh in slow motion. It inevitably led to memories of what happened _before._ He felt his chest tighten as visions of grey fur and warm blood began to flash behind his eyes.

Desperate to distract himself, he began to mentally review what he had learned of the course by watching Judy.

_First part: Aim. Three sections, spaced equally. Each section has three targets, spaced randomly. Ok. Easy._

_Second part: Blackout Box. Doors close, it gets dark, use night vision to shoot three targets. Also easy._

_Third part: The Cage. Four pitching machines shoot randomly into a small wood box. I have to_ stand in the box _and_ not get hit. _Less easy, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as I pay attention._

 _Last part: The Duo. Two walls. One has twelve moving targets on the front and_ my face _on the back. Kinda weird. The other one has Judy's face on the front, still weird, and six moving targets on the back. Shouldn't be a problem._

_I got this._

As the red fox prepared himself, Hannibal fiddled with the control board. Once he had all of the settings right where he wanted, he picked up his pencil and his stopwatch. He raised his head, took a deep breath, and:

"Go!" Nick was so caught up with distracting himself that the signal came as a surprise. He flinched, hesitated, then took off. While it probably only cost him half a second, the fox was still annoyed with himself.

" _Pay attention, you stupid-_ whoa!" His cross muttering was interrupted as he made it to the first gap. He planned to shoot as he ran, as hitting three stationary targets was no problem, even on the go. He was shocked to find that the instant he sighted the first target, all three stands began to fold over.

_This didn't happen to Judy!_

He only managed to get one shot off before all three targets slammed downwards and out of sight. He nearly skid to a halt, completely flabbergasted. It came to him that, if _these_ targets had an expiration, then so did the others. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he tried to take off again, though it could have been blamed on the unfamiliar boots he was wearing as much as his haste. He stumbled a few steps before he caught his stride. He poured on as much speed as he was able, but it wasn't enough. By the time he reached Aim - B the targets were already down. He sprinted for the last section, but only managed to catch the last slivers of white ink disappear behind the plywood barrier with a _clang!_

_What is this!?_

He gaped at where the targets used to be. After a second he remembered where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. He grit his teeth in frustration, then jerked away from the gap. He ignored the twinge in his eyes as he began to run again.

Then the door to the Blackout Box slid shut in front of him. The fox slowed to stop. He glowered at the door, felt the twinge in his eyes start to become a throb in his temples.

_That's the way it is, huh?_

It was like a switch was thrown in his brain. Suddenly, everything wasn't so important. It's not like the General was around the corner. He had time. He could try again.

Nick tilted his head back, closed his eyes, took in a deep, cleansing breath, and let it out. His furrowed brow relaxed and his tense shoulders went slack. Green eyes opened as he dropped his head. He safetied the rifle, let it hang loosely at his side as he turned away from the door.

The picture of calm, the fox walked around the hut. By the time he reached The Cage the pitching machines had already exhausted their payload. He stepped through the field of tennis balls that littered the path, and he did not care in the least that he sent some of the fuzzy spheres rolling with his boots.

As he came upon the Duo, he completely ignored the targets to observe Judy's portrait.

_It's actually pretty good, for spray paint. Bet Murdoc did it. He seems weird enough to do something like that._

As he passed between the two walls, he continued to ignore the targets, though he could have swore that the ones on the back of Judy's wall rang and chimed as they zipped about on their tracks. He looked over his shoulder at his own spray painted likeness.

_I look good in black. Murdoc's got some talent._

His smirk matched his portrait's as he turned away. He walked up to the post with the button and raised his left paw. He heard the targets behind him come to a jarring stop as he pressed the button down.

* * *

"Twelve minutes and five seconds." Hannibal glared down at Nick from his place on the overturned bucket in front of the control table. Nick smirked back, completely unrepentant.

"Now, that just _can't_ be true…" The younger fox talked with a noticeable lilt in his voice, like he was talking to a child telling an exaggerated story. It made Hannibal's eyes tighten just a little more.

"Oh, it _is_ true. I added five seconds for every target you missed and every tennis ball you didn't dodge. Starting at one minute, fifteen seconds, which is still appalling, by the way, and adding _five hundred_ seconds for _skipping_ the Cage, and then another _hundred and fifty_ seconds for just blowing past thirty targets-"

"Twenty nine," Nick interjected. It took a second for Hannibal to respond, surprised that someone had actually interrupted him. He narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me?" It wasn't a question so much as an opportunity for the younger tod to beg for forgiveness. Nick, in his uniquely aloof manner, nonchalantly ignored it.

"I hit the first target. Dead center, even. I only skipped the last twenty nine," he said, his smirk still intact. Hannibal went from looking peeved to looking absolutely… calm. It was perhaps the most worrying reaction Nick had seen from the colonel.

"You know what?" the veteran said smoothly, voice free from any inflection whatsoever. It sounded like the calm before the storm. "You're absolutely right. Let me fix that for you." He turned back to his notepad, picked up his pencil and jotted down a quick note. "There. Twelve minutes even. Now at least it's a well rounded fuck-up of a completion time. Got anything to say to that?" He turned back to Nick, crossed his arms and glared, daring him to say anything.

"Well, at least it can only improve from here." _Challenge accepted._ Nick watched the colonel coolly, and Hannibal's expression changed to match.

Judy, who had been watching this exchange from off to the side, was struck in that moment by how freakishly similar the two foxes were. Identical slim builds and identical shaped faces. They were the same height. Even their postures were similar, with upright, relaxed shoulders, loose arms, and hips cocked _just so_. They exuded a detached kind of confidence, like nothing could really bother them. They could have been the same fox, if not for the color of their eyes and fur.

It was bizarre.

Hannibal broke the chilly silence first.

"I can't help but feel you're missing the point," he said.

" _I_ can't help but feel you set me up to fail," was Nick's curt response. Hannibal did not deny the accusation.

"It was supposed to teach you a lesson," he explained. Nick snorted.

"I learned plenty. Pay attention. Don't get distracted. Bring the coffee on time." His sarcastic response brought a sigh from the veteran. He studied the angry, defiant fox before him. After a few seconds of thought, he came to a decision.

"I can see that this isn't helping anybody. Go set up the course. The pitchers need to be reloaded," he ordered calmly. Nick turned away without so much as a nod. Hannibal watched him go with something akin to regret.

* * *

Judy decided that maybe she could help her tod out of his funk. She made to follow after him, but Hannibal's voice stopped her.

"Hopps. Front and center," he commanded. As the rabbit hurried over, the older fox sat down on his overturned bucket so he would be closer to her eye level.

"Sir?" Judy asked softly. She wondered briefly if she was going to be reprimanded for going after Nick, but Hannibal's question wiped that thought away.

"What did I do wrong?" His frank and sincere question threw Judy for a loop.

"What did...you do wrong?" She parroted. The gray fox leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"If this goes well I am going to be your commanding officer. I always want to work _with_ the soldiers under my command, not lord over them. Something like that takes trust, and it feels like I just lost a lot of it. So, what did I do wrong?" His explanation cleared away her confusion. Judy thought about the question seriously. The answer was obvious, but putting it into words so that a stranger might understand was difficult.

"Nick, he…" she started, stopped, started again. "He's not used to people giving him a chance. Even when he became a cop, it took a long time for anyone to really trust him. He's still not really close to anyone on the force. I think…" Judy shifted uncomfortably, not quite able to look Hannibal in the eye. "I think he was excited to meet you. Another fox that really gave him a shot, that tried to help him without asking for anything. But, then, you…" she trailed off, eyes firmly on the ground.

"Then I humiliated him at the first opportunity, and now I'm just like everyone else." Hannibal finished the thought for her. The bunny winced, and her ears fell back. She nodded without looking up.

"Yes," she said quietly. The older fox sucked in a breath, leaned back and turned his head to look towards where Nick was gathering up the tennis balls to load the pitching machines.

"Hm." He looked at the quietly waiting rabbit from the corner of his eye. With a quick wave of his paw, he dismissed her. "Go on, help Nick with set up," he commanded. With a soft 'Yes, Sir,' she was off.

Hannibal's eyes tracked her as she ran across the field to Nick's side. From afar, the veteran watched as the grey bunny touched the red fox's arm. They exchanged a few words, then the bunny stretched up to kiss the fox's cheek. They shared a smile, and got to work setting up the pitching machines.

The sight of them stirred something in the colonel's chest, an old ache born of regret. He thought briefly of the vixen he had left behind. He quashed the feelings with the ease of long practice. He made his choice long ago. Still, what could it have been like…?

He turned away from the pair and rubbed his eyes with a groan.

_These kids are going to kill me!_


	28. Beginning

With the exception of Nick and Hannibal's spat, everything went very well. Hannibal dialed back the difficulty, and Nick aced the course. Then, after running through a few trial runs, the enhanced vulpine aced the course again, only on the next level of difficulty. While not the highest setting possible for the course, it was still beyond impressive to watch the red fox shoot every target dead center during a flat-out sprint. The Cage was also quite a sight, with the red fox stepping between the dozens of flying tennis balls with an ease that bordered on nonchalance.

Since Nick was already so proficient, Hannibal allowed Judy's request to practice against the Duo. The foxes watched with varying degrees of wonder as the rabbit began to fire on the wall bearing her portrait, and hitting the targets _on the other side_. Every successful hit resulted in a loud chime. It took a lot of time and concentration, nearly fifteen seconds per shot. At first, she only managed to hit once in every five shots. After an hour of practice she managed to improve to one in two.

Hannibal was forced to stop her there, as all their remaining ammo was necessary to perform the demonstrations for the General. He ordered them back to camp, partially so they could get something to eat, but mostly so they could clean up. It had been over twenty four hours since any of them had bathed, and they were all smelling pretty ripe after working so hard on building and testing the course.

After they roused Baracus and piled into the passenger seat, the cranky bison drove them back to camp. An hour later the whole team was cleaned and fed.

Now they were waiting around the kiddie pool. The soldiers were all sitting in their individually sized lawn chairs, while Nick and Judy were sharing a small crate. They were in the midst of small talk when Judy decided she wanted to know something

"What's she like?" she asked. Hannibal and Face both looked perplexed. Murdoc and Baracus were both dozing in their chairs, part of the group but absent from the conversation. Hannibal figured it out first.

"General Wolfdun?" he prompted.

"Well-" Judy's response was interrupted as Murdoc came to with a loud snort. He sat up in his chair, ears suddenly erect. The wolf paused when he realized four sets of eyes were on him. Rather than shrink from the attention, he stared right back.

"What?" he asked, confused. The question jolted Judy from her staring. She turned back to Hannibal.

"Uh, yes. General Wolfdun. I figured, you know, since we are going to meet her soon-" Judy was interrupted, again, by Murdoc.

"What!?" This time the crazy wolf did wilt slightly under the weight of their gazes. With a laugh that was supposed to be casual, but came out as nervous, he leaned back in his chair. Murdoc squirmed, crossed his legs, uncrossed them, tried to drape nonchalantly over an armrest, failed utterly to look uninterested, and finally leaned forward again. "Er, ah, Judy, what, ah, what do you mean, 'we're meeting her soon?'"

Utterly perplexed by the wolf's bizarre behavior, Judy glanced around at her companions for some kind of clue. Her confusion only multiplied when she saw that all of them, Nick included, sported matching secretive smirks. Hannibal even had his face sunk into a paw, shoulders shaking with barely suppressed chuckles. The bemused bunny turned back to Murdoc, whose eyes had not strayed from her for an instant. His intense gaze actually made her lean back just a tad.

"Didn't anyone tell you? We built that course so we could make a demonstration for General Wolfdun. She's going to be here any minute," she explained. Murdoc's eyes widened, and, to Judy's surprise, he bolted from his chair. His haste was so great his paws actually threw up dirt behind him as he scrambled to his tent.

The instant he was out of sight, the three males burst into laughter. Judy stared at them, wide eyed. The sight of the bewildered bunny just made them laugh harder. Nick recovered first.

"Wow, that was just-. Wow." The red fox sucked in a breath, all of his teeth showing in a deeply amused smile. "I have never seen a wolf so... _vigorous._ How long has he been like this?" His eyes were on the wolf's tent, which jerked and shook with the frenzied activity inside. Murdoc was causing quite a racket, talking loudly to himself while he dug through his belongings

" _Where are you, you bastard! I know you - AH_ HA!" The enthusiastic exclamation drew another round of chuckles from the males. Seeing how hopelessly confused Judy still was, Face leaned forward to explain, voice low.

"Ok, so, five years ago General Wolfdun - Actually, she was a Brigadier General then - So, _Brigadier_ General Wolfdun comes by to give us our latest mission. The mission doesn't start for a few days, so we kind of just have to wait around. Murdoc had just gotten his fifth blade proficiency rating. You need that if you want to carry a machete on missions where they aren't officially sanctioned. Anyway-" Another shout of triumph from Murdoc's tent drew Face's attention. When the wolf failed to appear from his tent, the camel turned back to continue his explanation. "Murdoc is _thrilled_ and every chance he gets, he's out practicing with Darla. So, Wolfdun happens by while Murdoc's out there swinging that machete around. They get to talking about blades, and she mentions that _she's_ rated for machete use. Murdoc, the big dope, _challenges her to a duel._ " Face's grin spread even wider as Judy responded as any good audience should, with widened eyes and a gasp. She even covered her mouth with her paws.

" _No,_ " she said in throaty whisper, looking completely caught up in the story. Nick kept his eyes on Murdoc's tent, but the ear he kept turned towards Face gave away how intently he was listening. The camel nodded, very pleased with the attention.

"That's right. _And she accepts._ She leaves to get her own machete and word gets around the barracks that a Brigadier General is going to fight, so there's at least a hundred soldiers waiting for her to get back. So, she gets back with her own blade, they get in the circle, and square off.

"Now, you need to know something," Face's entire demeanor changed. He leaned back and glared at them, trying to show how serious he was. "Murdoc is a _genuine badass_ when it comes to that machete. He practices constantly, and the only reason he didn't have that rating ten years earlier was because no one made him get one. No one 'til Hannibal here." The camel waved a long limb, clearly indicating the gray fox. The colonel just smirked at his mention. Face continued. "So, guess how surprised we are when Wolfdun _absolutely destroys him._ " The soldier paused to let Judy gasp again. Even Nick turned his head toward the conversation, no longer trying to hide his interest in the story. Face nodded sagely. "That's right. Has him on the ropes right from the start. Leaves him gasping on the ground and walks out of their fresh as a daisy. You know what she says as she leaves?" Face smiled as Judy leaned in, her wide eyed face and erect ears giving away how desperate she was to hear the end of the story. Nick was only slightly less obvious, with a more relaxed look on his face as he, too, leaned in.

"What'd she say?" Judy asked, playing her part as the perfect audience.

"She says, and I quote: ''I'm impressed. Keep practicing, and next time you just might scratch me." Face leaned back again, folded his hooves in his lap and grinned.

"Oh. Wow. So, Murdoc is scared of her?" Judy was startled when Face laughed.

"Ha! Scared? He's _terrified_. But, you should know by now that Murdoc is, well… _different._ " More than one mammal snorted at the understatement. "For Murdoc, who feels most alive when close to death, fear is the most potent aphrodisiac. In other words, he is head over heals in love with the General." As thought to punctuate his point, the wolf in question finally exited his tent. Everyone turned to look. Face and Hannibal both just smiled and rolled their eyes as they turned away, but Nick and Judy's gazes lingered.

The wolf had undergone an impressive transformation in a short time. Gone were the gaudy beach clothes and baseball cap, replaced by black slacks, a white button up shirt, and a well kept vintage bomber jacket. Black and white fur, once dull and scruffy, was now shiny and sleek from a thorough brushing.

As he walked back to his chair, it became apparent that even his demeanor had changed. Before, he was intense, eyes and ears always focused keenly on whatever had caught his attention. Now, shoulders and ears were relaxed, and eyes were half lidded in a somewhat successful attempt to seem relaxed and confident. Even his tail, usually quick to wag, swished gently back and forth as it trailed after him, mellow and unobtrusive.

Of course, being the mammal that he was, Face couldn't let this sudden change get past them without at least _some_ mockery.

The suddenly dapper wolf had barely taken his seat when Face spoke up, all of his big, shiny teeth showing in a teasing smile.

"Weh- _hell, what_ do we have _here?_ Murdoc: all dressed up. What's the occasion, big guy?" He asked facetiously. The camel leaned over his armrest to grin down at his comrade, eyebrow cocked. Murdoc stared up at the much taller soldier, face carefully neutral.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." His voice was different, too. Smoother and quieter. It just made Face smile wider, if that was possible.

" _Reeeally?_ Are you _sure?_ You're awfully prettied up for a wolf without an occasion. And what's that _smell?_ " The camel made a show of smelling the air, glancing around as though he was searching for the source of the odor. After a few sniffs, he looked back down at the wolf, eyes wide in comically over exaggerated surprise.

"Why, it's coming from _you!_ And what a _fetching, masculine_ scent it is. It wouldn't happen to be… _cologne?_ " Face's continued teasing didn't seem to affect Murdoc. He was quite calm as he answered.

"Good grooming is its own reward," he said, voice flat.

"Listen! Buddy, pal, friend o' mine! You can tell _me_ if…" Face trailed off as he looked up, eyes locked on something. Everyone turned to follow his gaze towards a jeep that was pulling up next to their little camp. The jeep came to a hard stop, throwing up a small cloud of dirt. The driver door opened and slammed shut.

"Psst!" Judy and Nick both turned towards Hannibal. The fox gave them a warning look while he dragged his fingers from one corner of his mouth to the other in the universal sign for 'zip your lips'. Even though they were nonplussed, Judy visibly more-so, they both nodded their understanding. They turned their heads back to their visitor just as he came around the vehicle. He was a large badger, a few inches shorter than Nick, but much wider in the torso. His fur was completely black, with none of the facial markings that Judy and Nick were used to.

Everyone stood at his approach, except for Baracus, asleep as he was in his chair. The dark furred creature marched right up to Hannibal, not stopping until he was standing inches away from the fox. He glared up at the colonel, not caring in the least that he was violating the other mammal's personal space.

"Colonel Smith." His deep voice was surprisingly calm and cordial, considering how literally every aspect of his stance oozed hostility: teeth exposed, paws clenched, shoulders tense, thick black tail raised and bushy. If Hannibal was bothered by any of this, he certainly showed no sign. His expression remained perfectly cool as he gazed steadily into the badger's beady black eyes.

"Captain-," The fox's eyes flickered briefly from the soldier's eyes to a shiny brass star on his shoulder, then back again, "Excuse me, _Major_ Ratel. Congratulations on your promotion," he said softly. The poise on display was nothing short of impressive. None of the mammals watching this exchange thought they could remain so effortlessly calm with a hostile mammal holding that many ridiculously sharp teeth only a few inches from their throats.

"Thank you. I'm surprised you haven't been promoted. With how… decorated you are." Again, that calm voice. Somehow, it was scarier than if the badger had been yelling. Coupled with how aggressive his stance was, it seemed like he was very calmly considering how to best maul whatever was in front of him. It made Hannibal's cool, confident demeanor seem that much more impressive. The 'Fox Smirk', as Judy was coming to think of it, spread across his muzzle.

"They'd have to give me a desk job if I went any higher up, and I am just _terrible_ at paperwork."

"Hm. Very well," was Major Ratel's succinct response. He whipped around to face Judy and Nick. The action was so sudden and violent that it made both of them jump, with Judy springing at least six inches into the air. When she landed she stood ramrod straight. Nick immediately emulated her. The badger placed his paws behind his back and took a few steps towards them, beady black eyes studying them intently. After a few seconds of this he turned back to Hannibal. He brought one arm forward and held it out towards the jeep.

"Please, collect your guests. The General wishes to see you."

* * *

Judy, Nick and Hannibal piled into the military vehicle. The rest of Alpha Team was ordered to remain behind, much to Murdoc's dismay. With Major Ratel's aggressive driving, they were at the Command Tent in minutes. 'Tent' was something of a misnomer. It was actually a collection of small trailers containing vital communication equipment and generators connected by a small web of covered walkways and offices surrounding a larger, central hub.

Ratel lead the other three mammals through the outer web. Even though it was a short trip, the badger's influence was obvious. Nick and Judy, the smallest mammals on the police force, had gotten used to dodging around their larger coworkers. It was a lot safer than hoping that they would get noticed before someone stepped on them. The Major, on the other paw, was the exact opposite. All of the personnel went out of their way to avoid the short mammal, with most of them walking to the side until they were touching the canvas wall of the covered walkway and slipping past as unobtrusively as possible. One particularly large ox caught sight of the comparatively tiny mustelid, turned on his heel and hurried in the other direction. Judy and Nick both observed this phenomenon with something akin to awe. They shared a glance, eyebrows raised. A stern glance from Hannibal made sure they stayed quiet.

As they stepped into the central hub, the grey rabbit and red fox were kind of disappointed to find that it was a far cry from the high tech nerve center they had imagined. In fact, it was only twelve mammals with laptops and headsets sharing three plastic folding tables. To be fair, they all seemed to be very busy, typing rapidly as they alternated between listening and speaking into their headsets. There were also three or four assistants buzzing around them, running to and fro as they carried files and printouts between stations, with one occasionally breaking off to carry a stack of papers out of the room, or one coming in to drop off reports. It actually bore more than a passing resemblance to the emergency dispatch center back in Zootopia, a place Judy and Nick had seen multiple times thanks to their chosen careers.

Their guide led them around the tables. Just on the other side was a small area cordoned off with a few more canvas walls, currently tied back. There was simple wooden desk, flanked by two bulletin boards on stands. All three surfaces were covered in a dizzying array of maps and printouts.

Also, leaning over a map behind the desk was the biggest wolf Nick _or_ Judy had _ever seen._ She had a coat of thick, white fur, stood at nearly seven feet tall, and possessed a set of striking yellow eyes. All-in-all, she cut an imposing figure in her digital camo fatigues with the three platinum stars on the shoulders.

As they approached, she turned to face them. She recognized them in an instant, and immediately opened her mouth.

"Golf-Tango-Foxtrot-Oscar!" she spoke, loud and clear. Her voice was powerful, and it immediately cut through noise of the dozen or so operators going about their business. The room immediately went quiet, and, without a word, every soldier present packed up and left, the operators with their laptops under their arms and the assistants carrying stacks of papers nearly a foot high. In less than a minute, the only mammals left in the room were Nick, Judy, Hannibal, Major Ratel and General Wolfdun.

While the personnel had been clearing out, Ratel had led the others to the General's desk. Now they stood in front of it, the Major on the right, Hannibal next to him, then Nick, and, finally, Judy on the far left. Ratel waited patiently for the non-essentials to leave, then led the others in a salute.

"Presenting! Lieutenant General Justice Wolfdun!" The monochromed badger looked at the three visiting mammals as he said this, like there was any doubt that any of them didn't know who this was. Then, still saluting, he turned back to face the great wolf. "Sir! Colonel John Smith to see you, with guests Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps!"

"Thank you, Major." She raised two fingers to her forehead in a simple salute. "At ease." A career of being heard over the noise had made her voice rough, like she was always growling _just a little_ when she talked. The two soldiers assumed a picture perfect parade ground rest, with Nick and Judy doing a passable job of imitating them. Apparently a couple of years as a cop didn't develop the skill nearly as well as a lifetime in the military. The General eyed the pair of pseudo soldiers for a few seconds. She abruptly turned her gaze downwards, leaned down, pulled open a drawer in her desk, grabbed two files from inside, then slammed the drawer shut. The loud sound made the two flinch. After a few brief steps, the tall wolf stood in front of her desk, much closer to them than before. She turned to look down at the gray fox, files clutched in one paw.

"Hannibal, after what you did for my brother and his family, I doubt I could ever really pay you back. But, _damn_ if you didn't drop me in a world of shit with this request." She dropped the folders on her desk with a resounding **slap!** She stared at them distastefully for a second, before she turned back to the colonel.

"I have had to lie, cheat, and _steal_ to do what you asked. If this ever gets out, my career will be _over,_ and your protection will be _gone_. Do you get that?" she asked. Hannibal nodded, face solemn.

"I understand, General. I wouldn't have asked if there weren't lives on the line." He lifted one paw from behind his back to wave a paw at the duo on his left. The wolf looked over at the pair. She raised a brow at them, then reached over to grab the files off the desk.

"Fine. I've got your salvation right here, but you need to choose whether or not to take it," she said matter-of-factly. Judy, never one to back down from an important conversation, spoke up immediately.

"General Wolfdun, ma'am, what do you mean?" she asked, a little lost. The General's expression didn't change, but Nick thought he detected just a little more frown.

"What I mean, Miss Hopps, is that there are consequences. Everything has consequences. Here are the consequences of the choice you face today." She placed one paw on top of the folders she was holding.

"Choice One: you don't take the deal. Maybe Hannibal smuggles you out, maybe not. Either way, you will be looking over your shoulder for the remainder of you free life. If you are captured, you will never be seen again. Not if what Hannibal has told me is true." Wolfdun's frank assessment made Judy blanch a little. Nick wanted move on as quickly as possible, as this was making his partner uncomfortable. _Hell_ , it was making _him_ uncomfortable.

"Choice two, ma'am?" he prompted, as respectful as he could.

"Choice Two," she began, throwing the papers down on her desk again, where they hit with another **slap!** "You sign these papers and became the property of the military for two years." The declaration was met with stunned silence. Of course, that never lasted long with Judy around.

"M-ma'am, General, _two_ -"

"Shut up. It gets worse." The flat order stopped Judy cold. Wolfdun held the files up again. "These documents are fabricated. They're fake. They'll hold up as long no one looks at them. As long as no one has a _reason_ to look at them. That means you _have_ to finish the two years, or get honorably discharged. If either one of you deserts, or gets court-martialed, everyone in this room is screwed. I don't mean just 'career's over' screwed, I mean 'we're going to prison' screwed. Shut up, it gets worse," her preemptive command had both Nick's and Judy's jaws clicking shut.

"You can't be on Alpha Team. Not right away. Maybe not ever. I can make two fresh recruits appear from the aether, but not the kind of veterans that would be expected to be found on an elite unit. While Colonel Smith is allowed to pick his team pretty much at his whim, each of selection is reviewed. If two fresh faced recruits suddenly skipped the line and went straight to the top, it would cause the kind of scrutiny we absolutely _can not_ afford _._ " She huffed, then placed the files gently on her desk.

"It gets worse." She looked at the two, who had drifted together a little closer after each bit of bad news. Now they were so close Judy's cheek was almost touching the fur on Nick's arm, and she had one paw fisted in the back of his shirt. "Virgin recruits can be drummed out of the military as easily as signing a form. If Biao or his superiors catch wind of what's happening, and you don't have any field experience, you'll disappear just as easily as any civilian. You need missions on your records _now._ I mean 'head to the armory, your unit is leaving in two hours' _now._ " The wolf took in a deep breath.

"There _is_ some good news." The fox and rabbit, who had been grimacing under the weight of these repeated blows, perked up, eager for _any_ positive. Wolfdun delivered. "I still get to decide where new recruits go. You'll be in the same unit. You'll have a few missions to prove that you're a good team. If you prove yourselves as partners, there is every chance that you can serve your entire two years together. You can even be involved, as long your commanding officer doesn't think it's interfering with your work," she explained.

The pair's reaction to this news was very different, yet similar. Joy was too dim a word to describe the emotion shining out through Judy's smiling face. Elation might have been closer, or maybe euphoria. Nick's face didn't glow as his rabbit's did. He didn't even smile. Every muscle relaxed at once as a _profound_ relief washed over him. He felt like he was about to melt into a foxy puddle on the floor. It took Judy's tight grip on his shirt to keep him from a drunken stagger.

The duo's antics brought out three different reactions from the three different mammals watching them.

Hannibal was wearing the 'Fox Smirk'. He'd been worried that he really would have to find some way to smuggle them out of the country, but it looked like they were happy to take the deal. It wasn't what he'd wanted, but maybe this was better.

Major Ratel stared ahead, his face a stoic mask. Mostly. It is was not any kind of smile that curled his lip.

General Wolfdun just smiled faintly.

Judy dragged the suddenly impaired Nick up to General Wolfdun's desk. The bunny stood straight and proud, looked the enormous white wolf in the eye and said:

"Ma'am, we would like to sign."

**END OF PART 1**

**The one and only Authors Note:**

**This is not the end of Savage. Just the beginning.**

PantheraTigr

ShinyJuJu

WarWolf47

katrinahood

Sunny Lighter

savannahlovespitbulls

**These people are the ones who helped me write this story. From small things like fixing my comma placement to huge things like helping me through a writer's block, these wonderful people made my story better. Thank you all, _so, so much._**

**This was actually my first attempt at writing fanfiction that made it past a thousand words. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**Look forward to PART 2: Civilized.**


	29. Author's Note

This is just to let everyone know that the title of part 2 has officially been changed to 'Evolved'. So look forward to that.

The first chapter will be published Saturday, June 25 at 12 A.M. Central Time.


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